DE CEMBER NEWS California Loosens
Web Wine Sales Marketers and wineries hail announcement by state ABC board
tising, not sales, but set stringent controls on their use. The announcement came at a meeting of the National Confer-
S
ence of State Liquor Administrators in San Francisco in Novem- ber. It was little more than two years ago when the ABC issued guidance that implied companies involved in marketing wine had to be licensed, but no appropriate license existed. Since then, the ABC acquired a new leader, director Jacob Appelsmith. He formed a task force consisting of industry members and other experts to evaluate the situation. Jeff Carroll, vice president of compliance for Boulder, Colo.-based ShipCompliant, was on the task force. "The guidelines for licensed suppliers and third-party providers' re- lationships, while seemingly complex, will in fact help wineries, third- party providers and consumers alike," he said. "This is a progressive
acramento, Calif.—California's Alcoholic Beverage Con- trol board announced new regulations for third-party marketing and advertising agents crafted with the aid of the industry. The ABC ruled that Internet sites are adver-
There is speculation that new regulations will prompt Amazon.com to enter the wine sales business.
move by the CA ABC that we and every member of the wine industry ought to applaud." The ABC claimed in a news release that it
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would allow California businesses (including hundreds of family-owned wineries) to use the Internet to improve consumer choice and reach new markets. The ABC took action to help California businesses after receiving requests from the alcoholic beverage industry about how "third- party providers" can assist California businesses with online sales and marketing. Amazon.com, for one, decided not to sell wine after the earlier ruling, and there's speculation by Carroll and others that it may revisit the issue now that firm guidelines exist.
Learn more: Search keyword "loosens."
—Paul Franson
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