If you thought that the most significant wine region for New York wholesalers would be Bordeaux, Burgundy or perhaps Tuscany, you’d be wrong…… it’s actually New Jersey! Now, I’m not saying that New Jersey has suddenly been discovered as the latest new wine producing area, but it is the centre of nearly all warehousing for imported wines sold in New York.

The majority of New York wholesalers store wine in New Jersey for economic reasons, space is cheaper, as well as being logistically more efficient. The warehouses receive imported wines directly from shipping piers and also provide quick deliveries into New York City. There is simply no other location in the immediate area that offers this facility.

So, what’s causing the problem? Well, the problem is actually very significant indeed, as a proposed change in the law threatens to put many New York wholesalers and distributors out of business!

An amendment before the New York Senate would require all wines entering the State to be stored for a period of at least 48 hours before they can be distributed. In other words you would need warehousing located somewhere in New York State itself to store your wine before you can sell it, and the vast majority of wine companies simply don’t have this. It is alleged that there are two very big wine companies behind this proposed change, who, certainly not by coincidence, have their own In-State warehousing. Hence the smaller wholesalers are claiming that it is simply an attempt to drive them out of business. 

The apparent logic behind this move is that many of the States surrounding New York (e.g. New Jersey, Connecticut) have laws which require that alcohol shipped into the State from Out-of-State suppliers be shipped to a licensed wholesaler within the State and maintained at a premises operated by such wholesaler for a minimum period of time – commonly referred to as “at-rest” laws (the 48 hour period mentioned above). This requirement from States bordering New York, clearly puts New York businesses who wish to ship to neighbouring States at a competitive disadvantage (not that wine ever really passes in this direction). This legislation simply establishes a reciprocal “at-rest” provision of law, or so they claim.

An Inspector Calls, as some of you may know, is the name of a famous thriller written by J.B.Priestley. A play based on the book has been hailed as the theatrical event of our generation, winning more awards than any other play in history, although it is actually nothing to do with my real story today!

Running any business these days means that you will be subject to inspections of every conceivable type, whether it be Financial, Health & Safety, Food Hygiene or Fraud etc. Naturally there are quite a number of rules and regulations that we need to follow in order to comply with the numerous governing bodies.

As Christmas approaches it appears that it must be ‘that time of year’, as we find ourselves with several different inspectors forming an orderly queue at our front door. Obviously we work hard to follow all the rules and regulations laid down, not only for the working environment, but also those set by our Consello, as they strive to control the local wine making process. Despite doing our very best we know that we will never be 100% perfect, and the spectre of heavy fines always looms in the background. In these circumstances, all we can do is keep our fingers tightly crossed and hope that we have done enough……

We are proud in the knowledge that our wines often find themselves on some of the very best restaurant tables around the world, and it makes us even happier when customers decide to make them a central feature of their dining room.

El Corte Ingles is a very well-known chain of department stores situated throughout Spain, and nearly all have dining facilities for their customers in the shape of either cafeterias and/or restaurants. One of the best restaurants to be found here in Galicia is in Vigo, where our Casal Caeiro albariño has been served for more than 25 years (longer than the denomination of Rias Baixas itself has even existed).

Naturally they serve many a great fish dish on their menu, and it goes without saying that our wine offers the perfect compliment. During a recent campaign, our wines, Casal Caeiro, Casal Caeiro Barrica and Aguardiente were all featured, not only on the menu, but also in an extensive display at the door of the restaurant.