Interesting Article on Some Arcane California Wine Laws

[Adam_Lee]

I found lots of things in here fascinating and quite a few ridiculous. Signing wine bottles illegal? Free shipping illegal?

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=113580&htitle=Why%20Vintners%20Can't%20Sign%20Wine%20Labels&

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

[Joel_W]

Interesting read…

Free Shipping not allowed? Can’t sign a label? It was also interesting to read the part at the bottom about decoys and the only question they must answer is “What’s your age?”. I wouldn’t think that ABC wouldn’t be concerned about underage buyers rolling into a winery, but I guess this includes retailers.

[Dusty_Gillson]

The “no free shipping” thing seems so fully based in semantics as to be laughable. Just say, “shipping is included in the price listed” rather than “free shipping.” Also, I have seen negligible shipping costs that equate to free (e.g. $1.50 shipping, etc.).

In my experience, a winemaker signature on a bottle rarely results in a higher bottle cost, but maybe the argument is in the “perceived” value rather than the monetary value. It all seems like policing of morals to me.

[David_Bu3ker]

@Dusty Gillson

It all seems like policing of morals to me.

Yeah, what’s your point.

[Bob_Hunnicutt]

ABC is whacked. Remember a few years ago when all of a sudden a winery could not open a purchased bottle for a customer, but you could sell them a cheap corkscrew and they could do it themselves?

Currently, a tasting room is not supposed to pour over three ounces per customer. That would be about four tastes. Once I asked about the ruling when a customer pulls a bottle off the bar and helps themselves. The reply, “That’s not illegal.” So the moral is, I guess, to get around the three ounce limit is to let folks help themselves.

[S_Reynolds]

I bet the ABC is under a fair amount of political pressure. As stupid and moralistic as many of these rules seem, it also doesn’t feel right for the regulators to be flaunting willful ignorance at a trade convention:

Replying to a few questions from the audience, Botting exclaimed, “Don’t tell me what you’re doing!”

Conceding that they won’t enforce some of their rules seems less bad, but also undermines the agency…

[Paul_Luckin]

@Bob Hunnicutt

ABC is whacked. Remember a few years ago when all of a sudden a winery could not open a purchased bottle for a customer, but you could sell them a cheap corkscrew and they could do it themselves?

Currently, a tasting room is not supposed to pour over three ounces per customer. That would be about four tastes. Once I asked about the ruling when a customer pulls a bottle off the bar and helps themselves. The reply, “That’s not illegal.” So the moral is, I guess, to get around the three ounce limit is to let folks help themselves.

maybe this differs at festivals or off-site events, but at the last Responsible Pouring seminar i attended -sponsored and hosted by the ABC - in tasting rooms only employees of the winery may pour for guests, and that pour should not exceed 1.5oz. the last thing tasting rooms need is customers “helping themselves” at the bar. recipe for disaster.

[Bob_Hunnicutt]

@Paul Luckin

maybe this differs at festivals or off-site events, but at the last Responsible Pouring seminar i attended -sponsored and hosted by the ABC - in tasting rooms only employees of the winery may pour for guests, and that pour should not exceed 1.5oz. the last thing tasting rooms need is customers “helping themselves” at the bar. recipe for disaster.

Well, that’s what I was told when I called the local ABC. As dumbass as it sounded.

[Mark_C_Johnson]

Gee, I have a 1970 Heitz Martha’s with Joe Heitz’ signature on the label. Hope he didn’t sign it illegally!

[ericleehall]

An update on the Free Speech Implications of bottle signing.

http://www.beveragelaw.com/blog/would-you-like-me-to-autograph-your-bottle/