An upcoming two, day wine law seminar in Denver, CO is to be held April 11 and 12, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt in Denver. The conference will focus on new regulations, rules, challenges, and practical tips for success and features an impressive line of attendees. For more information, see…
New York Federal Court Dismisses Koch Wine Fraud Suit Against Christie’s
A New York District Court Judge, Honorable Barbara Jones, granted the motion to dismiss of the auction house Christie’s and dismissed the suit against the acclaimed auction house. William Koch, billionaire and avid wine collector, filed suit against the auction house last year claiming Christie’s “induced” him to buy a…
Updates from On Reserve
Happy Monday everyone! After an absolutely beautiful weekend in the city, as well as some much-needed time spent updating the blog, I am excited to announce some “housekeeping” details before posting subsequent updates relating to wine and law news. The following demonstrates some big moves for On Reserve, all of…
H.R. 5034 is Now H.R. 1161
The bill many wine lovers feared last year, H.R. 5034 or the Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act (CARE), is now known as H.R. 1161, the Community Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act of 2011. The text of the 2011 Act is identical to the second version of H.R. 5034 introduced to the…
Schild Estate: Questionable Bottling Practices for 2008 Shiraz
This article stems from a tip sent in by Professor Chris Buccafusco, a professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. Professor Buccafusco lectured about geographical indications in relation to the wine industry. I posted his video a few months ago, which is a must-view for anyone interested in wine and…
Wine Law Online
It has come to my recent attention that there are several new blogs and informative websites covering the legal issues of the wine industry. This week, I will share them with you. 1. Alcohol Law Review: Moderated by NBWA Senior Vice President, Industry Affairs and General Counsel Paul Pisano, the…
Breaking News: SCOTUS Decides Not to Hear Wine Retailers Case
BREAKING NEWS! Today, the Supreme Court decided not to examine the case brought by a group of wine retailers asking to review the case of Wine Country Gift Baskets v. Steen decided by the Fifth Circuit. The justices announced today that they will not give further consideration to whether the Texas…
Poll: Mediation and the Wine Industry
This weekend I had the pleasure of speaking with Richard Keenan of Keenan Mediation Services, mediation for the wine industry. Mr. Keenan worked as a trial attorney for thirty years involving complex commercial business disputes at the San Francisco law firm Folger Levin & Kahn. Currently, Mr. Keenan is a trained…
The Four Legal Categories of Wine in America
I receive a lot of questions regarding the legal protection of different types of wine in America on a somewhat daily basis. This entry serves as an overview of the American legal protection of different classifications of wines. Background The history of the U.S.’s protection of intellectual property is one…
A Closer Look at the New Wine Trade Agreement Between Australia and the ECs
On September 1, 2010, the 2008 Wine Trade Agreement Australia and the European Communities (“ECs”), which requires Australia to comply with the European GI system with respect to wine products, went into effect. (See Agreement Between the European Community and Australia on Trade in Wine, 2009 J.O. (L 28) 3.) The…