ILLINOIS LITIGATION COULD LOCK OUT HUNDREDS OF WINERIES

The Specialty Wine Retailers Association (SWRA) led by director Tom Wark issued a press release earlier this week alerting the industry that up to 500 California wineries could be prohibited from shipping wine to Illinois consumers if pending legislation is passed. Virtual wineries that hold Type 17 and Type 20 licenses issued by the California Alcohol Beverage Control board are not considered “traditional” wineries and would therefore not be able to ship to Illinois residents. These winemakers’ official status in