As we all know, marketing wine and distilled spirits presents unique challenges. Beverage alcohol marketing requires awareness of trade practice and other laws, including a complex web of federal and state regulations addressing the range of permissible promotional activities. The tricks of the trade in common use for other commodities are often off-limits. Designing legal contests and sweepstakes is one of the more complicated aspects of advertising alcoholic beverages. Some states require pre-approval of these programs; in other states, you’re free to proceed without regulatory review, but may face a violation and fines if your promotion stretched the limits too much. Before you accept your marketing team’s next “great idea,” check the Digest of Wine & Spirits Law. The Digest features an entire section dedicated to trade practice, and specific sub-sections regarding consumer sweepstakes and contests for each state. The Digest gives you the information you