Journalists Eleanor and Ray Heald, Michigan plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Granholm v. Heald, received the first annual "Grape Liberator" award at the Direct to Consumer Symposium, May 1, at the Meritage Resort in Napa, California. Presented by Coalition for Free Trade and Free the Grapes!, the Grape Liberator Award was established to recognize individuals who have played an instrumental role in improving consumer choice, as well as free trade, in wine. [read more]

SO HOW DO AMERICANS choose which bottle of wine to buy when they are in a retail store or a restaurant? According to a new global research study, their reasons may not be that different from other consumers around the world. It turns out that American consumers who are faced with an intimidating wall of wine at grocery stores and wine shops often use the same selection methods as their counterparts in Europe and Asia. Likewise, when handed a wine list at a restaurant, American consumers will rely on the same cues as other global wine consumers. However, our research showed that, in certain respects, American wine consumers are different. [read more]