A NAPA WEEKEND WITH NOTHING TO SHOW

If you happened to see footage of the hoards of impatient travelers this weekend on the news – or god forbid you were one of them – you might have seen me, hostile and confused, rummaging through my purse and tossing formerly valuable necessities that I often travel with, including anti-bacterial cleanser and toothpaste. And while those are two very important things, especially when traveling through the Oakland airport, the worst part was the possibility of not taking back wine from Napa – an issue currently plaguing the California wine industry.

One way wineries have combated the ban is by offering free storage boxes and discounted shipping. However, discounted shipping will not apply to everyone since 16 states currently prohibit wine shipments. As a potential problem that could have a slight impact on sales, it remains to be seen what will come of it all. My guess is that eliminating wine as a carry-on will do little in the way of hurting the big guys, but may take some toll on small to medium wineries. Let me know what you think at megan@beernet.com.