Posted on 08/19/2002 11:31:29 AM PDT by WindMinstrel
A fed-up consumer calls it "socialism." A fed-up retailer calls it "state-sponsored gouging." They’re referring to an Ohio law that requires vintners, distributors, and retailers to jack up the price of a bottle of wine a total of 135 percent before it hits the shelf. As a result, wine costs up to 50 percent more in Ohio than in other states, translating into $100 million a year that Buckeye State residents could spend on something else.
"I don’t know how this could possibly benefit the public," Tom Jackson, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Grocers Association, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which documented the stupidity of the state’s wine control regime in early March. The paper claimed Ohio is the worst among 17 states that regulate the price at which wine is sold.
It may be the worst, but all 50 states have a strictly enforced three-tier regime to regulate the sale of alcohol. Vintners must sell to wholesalers, wholesalers to retailers, and retailers to the public. Twenty states allow vintners to sell directly to consumers, through either mail order or the Internet. Not one state allows small vintners to bypass the first middlemen and sell directly to retailers.
The protectionist regimes are generally safe in state legislatures, but they are coming under increasing attack through the courts and the Internet. The Institute for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit legal group, is challenging a New York law that prevents direct wine sales from other states. Wine lovers can also take matters into their own hands. In Ohio, for example, wine enthusiasts buy direct from out-of-state stores. The law requires them to register these purchases and pay the markup. But as The Plain Dealer notes, "many bypass that step."
THAT'S the Zinfandel I was trying to remember earlier.
I bought a case last year when the Dallas Morning News gave it a gold medal in their wine competition.
I've got two bottles left (a 1999 Vintage) and I'm going to store them for another year or two. The last bottle I had was outstanding.
Johnny grad mentioned Rabbit Ridge, another outstanding Zin.
Soda Wells, 1999 Shiraz (Australia)
Yellow Tail Shiraz, 2000 (Australia)
Black Opal, 1999, Cabernet/Merlot(Australia)
Becker Vineyards, 1999, Cabernet
That last one is an obscure wine from Fredricksburg, Tx., and is OUTSTANDING at $7.99 a bottle.
A friend of mine recommended these:
Sunce Zinfandel, 1997 (California)
Canyon Road, Shiraz, 2000 (California
Pepperwood Grove Voignier, 2000 (White).
Somebody already mentioned Beringer's Estate; they make a VERY GOOD Cabernet.
We tried Veuve-Cliquot Champagne for our anniversary on an Alaskan cruise last month. I'm not a champagne fan, but this is as good as I remember Dom Perignon.
For Texas wines, you absolutely cannot top Llano Estacado, from the Cap Rock. ALL of their wines are good, and moderately priced, from $8-13 per bottle.
I'm into Zins right now. I've not seen that one, but will look for it.
Zins are only in moderate supply in my favorite wine store in Dallas, Goody-Goody, so they tend to be pricey. There's a wall of Merlots, since these are the favorite of the North Dallas set.
It's less painful from a shipping cost perspective if you order at least half a case. Heck, I recommend buying a whole case if you can.
It's wonderfully full bodied, well aged, and has just a hint of black pepper. I particularly enjoy it with a good steak or some very rare lamb chops.
They make a really nice Syrah as well.
Oh well; Forgive me, for I have zinned....
Regards,
L
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