Consumers form group to protest wine costs, accessibility

Tennessee wine connoisseurs who are protesting the cost of wine and limited selection of brands and vintages have formed a group called Tennessee Consumers for Fair Wine Laws and launched a Web site at www.tnwinelovers.net.

The group said today it was formed because of barriers to interstate wine access that wine buyers face.

“The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 2005 that if a state allowed in-state wineries to ship to consumers then they had to allow out-of-state wineries to ship to consumers under the interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. Tennessee laws prevent in-state wineries from shipping wine to Tennessee consumers but allow them to ship wine to out-of-state consumers. Therefore nothing has changed in Tennessee even though now over 35 other states allow interstate and intrastate wine shipping,” the group said in a statement.

Tennessee Consumers for Fair Wine Laws have outlined pertinent Tennessee alcohol laws that seem unfair to Tennessee vineyards and wineries, to wine retailers and to Tennessee consumers who want availability to different wines and vintages available in other U.S. states.