On May 16, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Granholm v. Heald that changed the way consumers can buy wine in the nation. Coming on the heels of seven, hard-fought court battles that split circuit courts across the country, Granholm’s 5-4 decision ended the prohibition against shipping by out-of-state wineries if a state allowed its own producers to sell directly to consumers. From a landscape of 11 reciprocal states in 2005, there are now 41 states and counting and the District of Columbia that have improved consumer choice. Family Winemakers of California, which started the affirmative litigation approach with its amicus brief in the first Indiana case and carried through to the Supreme Court, takes great pride in the progress made in consumer choice through the efforts of its members and legal team.
For s fuller discussion of the history visit http://www.familywinemakers.org/shipping
