But Craig Wolf, chief executive of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Inc., the main industry trade group, defended the efforts to make all sales of alcoholic beverages move through a middle tier.
"Wholesalers think that direct shipping is a bad public policy choice," Wolf said. "We have never had an economic model for alcohol, it is a social model."
Face-to-face transactions are more likely to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors and alcoholics, he argued.
Shipping rules require an adult to sign for the delivery of alcoholic beverages. But several documented instances of delivery to underage buyers in Massachusetts and Iowa have shown that these rules can be evaded, Wolf said.
Retailers say such incidents are exceptions and constitute only a minor source of underage drinking. "When children get alcohol it is usually from their parents' home or from retailers who are not compliant with the laws," said Richards of BevMo.
The stringent resistance from the wine wholesaler industry to direct shipping sales by retailers is "ironic," considering that they would still play a large role in wine sales and distribution even in states that have less stringent regulation, said Wollenberg of K&L.
"Almost every case we purchase," he said, "comes from a licensed wholesaler."
jerry.hirsch@latimes.com
