Arkansas Wines, Leaves a Sour Taste

From the NWAnews. Arkansas legislators have got to stop passing legislation protecting the piddling little wineries of Arkansas. I'm sorry, but I think Arkansas wine taste like crap and I'd never buy it. I have found other wines in my limited travels that taste a whole lot better and I'd like to purchase them. Unfortunately I can't because they aren't allowed to ship it to me in Arkansas.

In June 2005, Little Rock cardiologist Scott Beau sued in U. S. District Court in Little Rock to have the law overturned. His goal was to force Arkansas to allow out-of-state wineries to ship directly to him and other Arkansas oenophiles.

I am in total agreement with James Tanford, an Indiana University law professor representing Beau.

Tanford supports opening up the state to direct-to-consumer shipment of out-of-state wine. He voiced strong displeasure with Act 668 ’s prohibition of direct-to-consumer shipping. He said the law protects the wholesalers’ franchise at the expense of wine drinkers who can’t get boutique wines at stores in Arkansas.

It time to let those who enjoy wine and pursue it as a hobby buy from other wineries in other state. It's not fair that other states have allowed direct-to-consumer shipping and Arkansas won't because of the wholesalers’ hold on the distribution of out of-state wines, and the Arkansas wineries crying about protecting their small little business. Steve Jones says it all,

Steve Jones, an El Dorado physician and wine drinker, complained that despite the new law, oenophiles will nevertheless be deprived of many choice vintages.
"It’s not a cost-effective situation for small wineries to ship their wines to a small state like Arkansas," he said. "There’s not going to be a grocery store interest in those wines because they’re considered low sale volume."
Jones described his preferred remedy.
"Simply legalize what a lot of people do," he said. "Allow winery or retail outlet shipments directly to the consumer’s doorstep."

In case you're curious, these are my favorite wines, this, this, and the Great White.