Wine Will Flow Freely

The Supreme Court has struck down the ban on direct sales of wine. This is a great thing for those of us living in states where the liquor distributors are very influential. Now when I want a bottle of wine that the distributors do not handle.

A wonderful day for the Oneophiles.

Court Strikes Down Ban on Wine Shipments

Wine lovers may buy directly from out-of-state vineyards, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, striking down laws banning a practice that has flourished because of the Internet and growing popularity of winery tours.

The 5-4 decision strikes down laws in New York and Michigan that make it a crime to buy wine directly from vineyards in another state. In all, 24 states have laws that bar interstate shipments.

The state bans are discriminatory and anti-competitive, the court said.

“States have broad power to regulate liquor,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. “This power, however, does not allow states to ban, or severely limit, the direct shipment of out-of-state wine while simultaneously authorizing direct shipment by in-state producers

The real interesting thing that caught my eye was how the Court voted. In favor were Justices  Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer.

Now that is an break from traditional voting patterns for the court.