Here is Mike’s response
For your information according to big Brother aka PLCB distributors must sell all wines retail through the PLCB unless we designate an item as restaurant only. The only thing that Dreadnought started doing 30 years ago was promoting the idea of buying retail through the PLCB. To do this first it must be a brand that we represent. Although PA is not legally a franchise State, the PLCB policy is that a winery can only be represented by one distributor. To complete the retail order process we must maintain a separate checking account to deposit funds. Go to a State Store place an order on the customer behalf wait at least 2 business days. Go back to the store, show them the wine, and pay the balance. At that time the customer can pick up their order. Yes this is a pain in the neck but we have done it. We are “lobby” for a Dreadnought vending machine. Otherwise yes we are living the classic definition of “insanity”. Doing the same thing repeatly expecting a different result.
I was recently employed by a retailer in Texas and can verify what JP said. Texas retailers can ship out, Texas consumers just can’t legally ship in (unless they find a retailer willing to skirt the issue by using the customers fedex/ups number, etc).
I don’t know if it was illegal, but we did ship within Texas and had no problems with the state or with FedEx. I know we were legally allowed to deliver within our county, which we also did frequently.
From my experience, the lack of interest/activity is due in part to the difficulty in being competitive in pricing compared to east and west coast retailers. Often we were looking at “best pricing” on anything from a $10 Pinot Grigio to $300 Rhone, Burgundy, Cali Cab, etc that was 10-15% higher than half a dozen NON pro wine-searcher listings. That makes expanding nationally not only very difficult, but also undesireable from a profitability standpoint.
Yeah, Texas retailers can ship out, but out-of-state retailers can’t ship in. It’s part of the free-wheeling, open markets policy we have down here.
Maryland is getting dangerously close to allowing direct shipping by wineries. I do not think retailers would be able to ship under the proposed law http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-wine-report-20101221,0,502560.story. The legislature is out of session right now. The normal session runs from January to April I believe. If a law were passed, I do not think it would go into effect until the middle of next year at the earliest.
Thanks for this post. It was an interesting read. I’d be pumped if wineries could ship to MD!
Randy, I’m pretty sure Michigan retailers can ship. I’m 100% sure that at least some of them do.
Ken, who in your family works at Marty’s?
Also, if there are any people in Western MI, Rishi at International Beverage at E.Paris and 28th St in Grand Rapids has served my family well, and he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Obviously, if you’re in Boston, swing on into Marty’s, and we’ll be sure to take care of you.
David Olsen-Billet, though he’s really family by choice. His father, Matthew Billet (who posts here occasionally) is the first cousin of my brother’s wife. We met for many years at my brother’s house and have a common interest in wines. As you get older, you have the prerogative of choosing your family, so I think of Matthew as a cousin and David as a nephew, even though technically we are only related through my brother’s marriage. Last I heard, David was working in the new store.
Small world. Yeah, David’s still there, I see him almost daily, and see Matthew once every couple of months. Good to know!
Legally speaking, wine can only be delivered by employees of the store. Doesn’t mean that someone out there isn’t pushing the law.
Check out these photos from a dinner put on by Marty’s with the D’Arenbergs in 2003. You’ll see a younger me and a younger Matthew, as well as some former employees. Let’s just say that David was exposed to wine at a young age! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I see the back of my friend Nick’s head (formerly of Marty’s). Apparently, I was too cool to pose that night.
You worked there even then? In Newton or Allston?