New Poll Says Hoosiers Want Alcohol Sold Safely and Oppose Unregulated Sales

Consumers Concerned About Underage Access, Product Safety/Quality and

Inability to Collect Sales Tax

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (February 22, 2006) – A substantial majority of Hoosiers (67%) believe continued regulation of wine sales is necessary to safeguard children and ensure product safety and quality, according to a new poll by MWR Strategies. The poll was conducted on behalf of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Indiana (WSWI) and released today at a state Senate hearing on HB 1190. The bill, which passed the House earlier this month, would allow Indiana wine consumers to buy any wine of their choosing from either in-state or out-of-state providers, so long as they pick it up at a local licensed retailer instead of having it shipped to their homes.

“This bill allows Hoosiers to buy any wine from anywhere, through a licensed retailer, while maintaining smart, sensible controls on the sale of alcohol,” WSWI Executive Director Jim Purucker said. “The public doesn’t support bypassing safeguards. They support regulation. It’s a win-win for wine customers and those who want alcohol sold safely.”

Here’s what else the poll found:

81% believe that picking up wine from a local retailer would help prevent access by minors to alcohol.
69% believe picking up wine from a local retailer would better ensure the collection of proper tax revenues for the state.
68% agree that picking up wine from a local retailer would allow the state to ensure the safety and quality of the wine bought by Indiana consumers.

The survey was conducted in response to an aggressive lobbying campaign launched by the California wine industry and the majority of Indiana’s 33 winemakers, who are seeking to be exempted from the state’s alcohol regulatory system. They are asking for special privileges to be allowed to ship their product directly to consumers’ homes, even though the survey found that the majority of self-described Indiana wine drinkers (81%) are more than satisfied with the selection of beer, wine and liquor available locally.

“These results are consistent with what we’ve known for years,” Purucker said. “We find it deplorable that lawmakers are being influenced by these strong-armed tactics that misrepresent how the majority of Hoosiers feel about regulating alcohol.”

The House passed HB 1190 by an overwhelming majority (60 to 36). It’s smart public policy and guarantees compliance with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says if Indiana’s 33 wineries get special treatment allowing home delivery, then the state must grant the same privilege to every wine seller in the world. How is the state going to track these sales and enforce its laws on out-of-state sellers – especially if the sales are never reported?

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“Indiana wine merchants argue that this is just about wine. But if they get their way, I guarantee that in the not–too-distant future, beer and hard liquor sellers will sue for discrimination demanding the same right to deliver directly to the home as well. Virtually all Hoosiers (96%) say that wine, beer and liquor all have intoxicating effects, and 83% agree that Indiana sales and distribution laws should treat beer, wine and liquor in substantially the same way. The question is: Is Indiana going to open a Pandora’s Box that will undermine the state’s alcohol regulatory safeguards simply because a handful of state wine merchants don’t want you to drive down the street to pick up your order?” Purucker said.

Separately, WSWI conducted a shopping survey of Indiana state wines and found that many of these wines were available at local retailers at a lower price than the cost of purchasing them directly from the winery and having them shipped. In a visit to one Indiana retailer recently, WSWI purchased many different Indiana wines for a retail price that was less than the same wines available on the wineries’ websites.

HB 1190 would allow these Indiana wineries – as well as out-of-state wineries – to sell directly to Indiana consumers, but would require the buyers to pick up their orders at their neighborhood retailer, who would check IDs face-to-face for proof of age and collect state taxes. Proponents of the bill include state groups that aim to curb underage drinking and state-licensed distributors and retailers. These groups understand that any home deliveries of wine would effectively deregulate alcohol sales in Indiana – and that such a system ultimately would have to be applied to beer and liquor sales and deliveries, as the law does not distinguish among forms of alcohol.

“The alcohol distribution system was set up in Indiana to protect consumers,” Purucker said. “It is a system that has worked well and Hoosiers agree we should not destroy it for a handful of special interests who don’t think our state laws should apply to them.”

To see the complete poll; click here. (Note; if you need the free Adobe Acrobat (PDF) reader; click )

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WSWI is the statewide trade association representing companies that market and distribute fine wine and spirits throughout Indiana.

MWR Strategies, based in Richmond, Virginia, conducted the survey of 500 registered voters over the age of 21 in the state of Indiana from February 17 to February 20, 2006. The margin of error for this survey is 4.4%

A copy of the full survey is available online at www.wswi.com.