A few months ago, On Reserve posted an article about the two sisters in Arizona seeking to open a winery-brewery establishment. As of last week, the Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill into law that allows both a winery and a brewery to operate on the same land. The…
Third Time’s a Charm: William Koch Back in Court for Another Counterfeit Wine Lawsuit
William Koch, billionaire and avid wine collector, is back in court for yet another wine lawsuit—but this one is completely unrelated to our two prior entries discussing Mr. Koch’s lawsuits. In this suit, Mr. Koch is suing Eric Greenberg, a businessman and the alleged seller of counterfeit wine. Koch purchased…
FSMA: What This Acronym Means to the Wine Industry
What does FSMA mean to the wine industry? How should wineries prepare for an FDA inspection? What is an FDA inspection for wine?
Wine Law Wrap-Up for the Week of March 18, 2013
Some very exciting wine law news emerged this week, including two stories that top the headlines of many leading publications. In the state of Massachusetts comes a story about direct shipment and a public figure. On the opposite end of the legal spectrum, we have a pending lawsuit brought by…
Revisiting the Roads to Prohibition: The Maine Laws
One of the most interesting time periods in the American history of alcohol beverage regulation is Prohibition; but the road to Prohibition was not paved overnight. Perhaps the most significant time period is the years prior to the national prohibition on the sale, transportation or manufacture of alcohol beverages within the…
A Regulatory Analysis: Nutrition Fact Panels and Ingredient Statements on Alcohol Beverages
Why do some wines have nutrition fact panels and some wines do not? What are the differences between FDA and TTB labeling for wines? Low volume alcohol wine label requirements.
Alcohol Beverage Law Conference in Denver, Colorado on March 18, 2013 (CLE International)
CLE International is hosting an Alcohol Beverage Law Conference in Denver on March 18, 2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel. The conference is co-chaired by Adam P. Stapen and Patrick D. Tooley and will cover Colorado wine, beer, and spirits. The conference will present topics such as Navigating the Agencies,…
Wine Law Updates: Restaurants Sue Wine Storage Facility, Revealing Seller’s Name at Auction, and Calorie Labeling for Wine in the UK
Some very interesting updates over the last week have occurred for the wine and law community. Below are three of the most interesting, involving a wine storage facility, potential new rules at auction, and calorie labels in the United Kingdom. East Coast Restaurants Sue WineCare Storage Facility for $2 Million…
Duckhorn Wine Co. Files a Complaint Against Duck Walk Vineyards Alleging Consumer Confusion on Wine Labels
I read the article outlining the complaint filed by Duckhorn Wine Co. of St. Helena against Duck Walk Vineyards, and I feel particularly compelled to blog about the complaint by means of both legal interest and personal significance. (I spent some of my childhood summers on the eastern end of…
Two Sisters Battle Winery-Brewery Law in Arizona
One of the unique aspects of the alcohol beverage industry is the clear and continual regulatory separation of different facets of the industry. For example, in the United States, laws known as tied house laws heavily regulate any form of vertical integration in the alcohol beverage industry. Generally speaking, tied…