I've long had a dream of doing a much better job of marketing selling wine online than some wineries do. I always figured that when Amazon Wine launches (if it ever does), I'd just be a savvy Amazon Affiliate and rake in the dough.
Alas, according to this September 9th article at Wine Industry Insights, the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (CA-ABC) has dashed my hopes of great wealth, pronouncing affiliate programs like Amazon's to be illegal when used to sell wine. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any information on the ABC site regarding this specific advisory, and the full article is behind a paywall.
CA-ABC had previously issued this advisory regarding third-party sales of wine last June. You can read a legal expert's view of that advisory at ShipCompliant,com and additional commentary from Wines & Vines and Vinfolio. I'd be interested in hearing from people like Wine Spies, wine.woot, etc. as to their take on all of this.
As for my dreams of vast internet riches? Sic transit gloria mundi.
By the way, this advisory was nothing new to those of us who have been in the wine/ecom biz for our careers. Revenue share is and always will be a no-no. However there are healthy alternatives and the need for healthy marketing agents in the wine industry is more acute than ever.
Posted by: Paul Mabray | September 18, 2009 at 02:42 PM