Alcohol Distributors Hire PR Firm to Take Money out of Tennessean's Hands and Line...

Alcohol Distributors Hire PR Firm to Take Money out of Tennessean's Hands and Line Own Pockets

Specialty Wine Retailers Issue Letter to Tennessee Senator
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
The Specialty Wine Retailers Association (SWRA) today sent a
letter to State Senator Doug Jackson asking him to oppose alcohol
wholesalers' cynical effort to take millions in tax revenue away from
the State in an attempt to line their own pockets. The letter further
asked Senator Jackson to call attention to the Wine & Spirit
Wholesalers of Tennessee's (WSWT) use of a PR Firm to anonymously
influence legislation concerning consumer wine sales.

The WSWT have engaged Seigenthaler PR to create a website opposing
safe consumer access to wine, yet WSWT isn't mentioned anywhere as the
backers of the "stopteendrinkingtn.org" website. Instead, the website
implies it is part of an effort by law enforcement and public
officials.

"This kind of backdoor, anonymous attempt to increase wholesaler
profits by killing legislation that allows safe access to wines from
across the country is the most cynical kind of politics that needs to
be brought to light and opposed," said SWRA Executive Director Tom
Wark in the letter.

"SB 2686, while allowing Tennesseans to order only wine from out
of state sources and including significant safeguards against minor
access, is opposed by the wholesalers because those small number of
shipments of wine won't land any money in the Tennessee wholesalers'
pockets," wrote Wark. The letter continues, "The Wine & Spirit
Wholesalers of Tennessee's anonymous efforts to use PR spin is
particularly cynical when you consider that just as the state, like so
many others, is in the midst of a budget crunch and anticipating cuts,
this bill would deliver more than $10,000,000 in tax revenue to the
state, likely allowing a number of programs to stay funded."

Contrary to the opinions of the Supreme Court and the Federal
Trade Commission, the WSWT's anonymously funded website suggests
minors will use the Internet to buy expensive bottles of wine. Yet the
website does not mention that the vast majority of alcohol obtained by
minors first goes through the hands of Tennessee's own wholesalers,
not through the Internet.

SWRA is a national organization of consumers and wine merchants
who oppose laws that discriminate against consumers and retailers in
favor of regulations only benefiting special interests. SWRA supports
passage of SB 2686.

SWRA
Tom Wark, 707-935-4424
twark@specialtywineretailers.org

Copyright Business Wire 2008