WINE SHIPMENTS FACING THREATS IN ILLINOIS

Illinois wine-drinkers may have to face up to new restrictive bills in the future. Although consumers have always been able to directly purchase wine from other states, House Bill 4350 and Senate Bill 2180 seek to halt those rights by disallowing people to purchase wine directly from out-of-state wineries. However, I’m not so sure how Illinois cork-sniffers will take it. "If these bills move forward, there will be a firestorm of protest by Illinois wine lovers, who have enjoyed access to wines not often available in their local market," said Jeremy Benson, executive director of Free the Grapes! "Wine and beer wholesalers want to cut-off Illinois wine lovers and wineries at the knees to control 100% of wine sales. We urge Illinois wine lovers to reject the wholesaler cartel's tactics by visiting our website and personalizing a message to their state legislators today. The solution is House Bill 4444, which provides for limited, regulated direct shipments using the model direct shipping bill currently working successfully in many states."