Rep. Slaughter, Local Wine Leaders Celebrate New Interstate Shipping Laws
 Decision Frees New York Wine to be Shipped Throughout the Country

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-Fairport), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, today joined several leading members of New York's wine community to celebrate a new state law legalizing the direct shipment of wine to out-of-state consumers. Previous laws blocking such commercial activity had hindered wine growers regionally and throughout the country.

"The people of New York already know how wonderful our local vineyards are," Rep. Slaughter said. "With the new shipping laws in place, we'll be able to show even more people around the country and around the world that New York wines are second to none," she added. 

At the event, Rep. Slaughter packaged several bottles of New York wine from the Casa Larga Winery in Fairport, New York. The vineyard had recently been awarded the Governor's Cup, signifying it as the best overall wine producer in the state. Rep. Slaughter then shipped the wine, along with several bottles from another local producer, the Anthony Road Wine Company, to the California district office of Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Wine Caucus. Direct interstate shipments like these had previously been banned.

"New York has taken a strong stance in support of free enterprise, and our wineries will now have the chance to compete nationally and become the leaders in their field that they so rightly deserve to be," Rep. Slaughter said.

In May, the Supreme Court rejected a previous ban on direct interstate shipments of wine. The New York State legislature subsequently authored legislation permitting such shipments which was then signed into law by the Governor.

New York produces over 100 million bottles of wine every year.