Market Watch, September 2018
mwDirect shipping to wine consumers has always been a hot button issue even after the Supreme Courts 2005 ruling that paved the way for it to become mainstream The second piece of the shipping puzzle of course is interstate direct shipping by retailers Thats an issue thats likely to bubble up in court battles over the next few years as retailers increasingly aim to pursue cross country business to maintain their viability in a rapidly evolving retail landscape Itll be an interesting battle and one that hopefully will be resolved in a way thats beneficial to the ultimate end game selling more wine and educating wine drinkers Even though direct to consumer DTC wine shipping is entrenched it still doesnt find many fans at the retail tier But it must be said that DTC has given smaller wineries the ability to survive and thrive while also spreading the gospel of fine wine Much of the direct shipping business emanates from consumer visits to the wineries themselves a form of experiential marketing that has proven very effective And wineries that must rely on both DTC and the three tier system have navigated the issue brilliantly saving their smaller more esoteric labels and winery exclusives for DTC while conducting business as usual on the three tier side That strikes me as a balance that works well for all concerned and one that has succeeded in growing the pie for everyone Theres lots more food for thought in this issue Our annual Bourbon report explores the ongoing progress of what is unquestionably the industrys biggest story in many many years Its full steam ahead in Bourbon country where it appears that the best is still to come Some of the most talked about new distilleries have yet to hit the market with their new products and as they do the next wave of excitement will be upon us Our story on Irish whiskey explores a category in rapid evolution not just in response to the surge in new distilleries but also because of the emergence of new more upscale styles that are starting to reshape Irelands image for good Here again its all quite a turnaround and the future looks very bright indeed Enjoy the issue Marvin R ShankenEDITORIALDirect Shipping The State Of PlaySEPTEMBER 2018 MARKETWATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 9MW0918_
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
