Tom Wark’s “Fermentation” Should Be Added to Your Blog Roll

Of all the blogs we follow on the industry, I can’t laud enough glowing praise on Tom Wark’s “Fermentation : The Daily Wine Blog.”  An oenophile of the first degree, Tom’s posts are insightful, funny, and usually contain a decent amount of ribbing for states’ restrictive distribution and regulatory frameworks.

And that’s not all.  If there’s a legal issue involving wine, especially a three-tier issue, Tom’s usually the first to comment.  His recent post about a bill in Pennsylvania that would restrict direct shipping of imported wine is a great example.  And he doesn’t mince his words:

“I believe three things about American wine wholesalers and Pennsylvania wholesalers in particular:

“1. They fear competition because they know they they don’t have the business chops to compete on a level playing field.

“2. They no nothing about and care nothing for American wine consumers or their needs.

“3. The only thing that is standing in the way of Pennsylvanians and Americans in general of accessing more than the minuscule number of wines made available via winery direct shipping is the wholesalers’ stranglehold on lawmakers that live and die by cash, not any arguments wholesalers put forth concerning retailer wine shipping.”

If you really want to keep up on wine issues, you’ve got to keep his blog on your radar.