I’m having a Stephen Bainbridge day … his Tech Central Station article from last week on the impending Supreme Court case over interstate wine shipment sums up the issues nicely. He notes the hypocrisy of the claim that the bans are meant to prevent underage drinking, when in fact it’s bald-faced rent seeking:
It cannot be doubted that New York intends its discriminatory ban on direct-to-consumer sales, in large part, to shield its higher-priced, lower-quality wines from California competition. If New York really were concerned about access to booze by minors, for example, wouldn’t New York also ban direct-to-consumer sales by in-state wineries?
A good read. By the way, it was my birthday on Monday, and my dad came to town to see the house and celebrate my birthday with us. We went to Mon Ami Gabi for dinner, and had a yummy Chateauneuf du Pape. I can’t remember whose it was, or the vintage, but it was a bunch of things all at once — lush and restrained, spicy and fruity, definitely big. One of my favorite wines.
A slightly belated happy birthday.