Texas to appeal law prohibiting direct shipment of wine

Food & Drink Weekly, Sept 23, 2002

Texas has appealed against a July court ruling, which struck down a law prohibiting out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to consumers while allowing deliveries from Texas vintners. The notice of appeal was filed last week in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana, said Tom Kelley, a spokesman for the Texas Attorney General. It is unclear when the appeal will be heard, although the process could take up to a year, said Lou Bright, general counsel for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Similar lawsuits in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Michigan and New York are also working their way through the courts. Those states, along with Texas, are among the 28 that ban direct shipment of alcohol.