National Association of Wine Retailers Embraces Commonsense Initiatives to Modernize Alcohol Beverage Market
March 4th – (Sacramento, CALIF)—The National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR) today announced its support for the National Direct Shipping Bill of Rights, an initiative of the Craft Wine Association to modernize the legislative architecture around the interstate shipment of wine and embrace the standards of direct shipment that have evolved over the past thirty years. NAWR will urge all members of the alcohol beverage community to embrace the principles outlined in the new Direct Shipping Bill of Rights.
The Direct Shipping Bill of Rights is a badly needed update to the Model Direct Shipping Bill language adopted in 1997 by the National Conference of State Legislators, While the Model Direct Shipping Bill was, at the time, crucial to helping move forward the direct shipping movement, much as changed over the past 27 years in the DtC channel and a new framework for advancing and regulating direct shipments of alcohol.
The new Direct Shipping Bill of Rights is notable for its expressed concern and response to real health, safety, and taxation issues, while at the same time fully embracing the principle of free markets, a level playing field for market participants, and the rights of consumers to access the legal products they desire. Equally important, the Direct Shipping Bill of Rights addresses more than just wine shipments and covers shipments of all alcohol products regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission.
“The Craft Wine Association has initiated an important modernization process with its development and dissemination of the Direct Shipping Bill of Rights,” noted NAWR Executive Director Tom Wark. “Nearly three decades of DtC shipping experience, the reliance on consumer shipments by producers, retailers, and consumers, as well as two Supreme Court decisions since the adoption of the Model Direct Shipping Bill in 1997 has taught the alcohol industry, alcohol regulators, and lawmakers that very specific regulatory and legal principles surrounding DtC shipments have made this distribution channel extraordinarily safe.”
NAWR commends the leadership of the Craft Wine Association for taking this initiative and appreciates the numerous institutions and individual producers who have already signed on the Direct Shippers Bill of Rights.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WINE RETAILERS
NAWR is a national trade association representing reform-minded, modern wine and spirit retailers. In representing its members’ interests, NAWR seeks to modernize state laws governing the sale of alcohol via legislation, litigation, and education. For more information see https://nawr.org/
