At the Digest of Wine & Spirits Law, we are constantly keeping our eyes on developing issues so we can better serve the beverage alcohol industry. Last week we spotted a well-written piece by Liza B. Zimmerman titled, “Wine Promotion Rules a Minefield.” The article quotes several experts on the pitfalls of marketing in the beverage alcohol industry and one expert, Bahaneh Hobel, is quoted saying, “neither the federal government nor the California ABC provide any sort of official guidelines or handbooks to supplier-side licensees regarding trade practices.” Hobel added that, unless “a winery has an attorney or someone familiar with compliance advising them, … they are unlikely to know all of the requirements and restrictions applicable to winery marketing and advertising." However, there is a resource to help suppliers avoid the problems: The Digest of Wine & Spirits Law contains trade practice and advertising requirements in each state

The Digest of Wine and Spirits Law is the essential compliance reference trusted by industry professionals to keep up with the frequent changes to laws and regulations affecting beverage alcohol. The Digest website’s topical organization and powerful features allow subscribers to quickly find relevant information, and stay in-the-know as changes are made. The information in the State Digests can be accessed easily by selecting the state and topic you’re interested in, or by selecting multiple states and multiple topics. The Digest also features a Federal Digest section which includes code sections relevant to the labeling and marketing of beverage alcohol, quoted directly from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Additionally, the Digest site provides a handy list of recent updates. When subscribers are logged in, this list has live links allowing one-click access to updated topics. When a topic has been updated, subscribers can simply click on the date next to the artic

RTD cocktails have captured American consumers, with the last two years posting nearly 100% growth among leading brands in this niche category. Many states are drafting and revising laws to adjust to this recent popularity. At The Digest of Wine and Spirits Law we have an ongoing commitment to keep you aware of legal updates that may affect your RTD strategies, including changes in excise tax rates, labeling and advertising regulations, as well as where your products can be sold in the various states. For example, 16 states prohibit the distribution of spirits based RTD cocktails in grocery stores and standard retail channels, while allowing non-spirits based RTD products of comparable or equal ABV% to be sold through multiple retail outlets. Before you commit your production, marketing, and logistics resources to this hot sector of the market, check the Digest for the information and resources you need to make your best business decisions. For a demonstration of The Digest, view the

Our industry is changing in ways that were unimaginable before the pandemic hit us. Temporary privileges allowing carry-out and delivery have been extended in many states and made permanent in others. The Digest foresaw this possibility and began reporting these changes last spring. We're continuing to report the changes as they occur, to help industry members track how the market is changing beyond their home state, and strategize for continuing change in the future. The Digest is an essential compliance reference for wine and spirits professionals. It covers statutes, regulations, and administrative decisions from all states governing the sales and marketing of wine and distilled spirits in a user-friendly format. For a demonstration of the of The Digest, view the video, or contact us to schedule a live screen-share demo.