Indiana is one of the few states that denies its citizens from having wine shipped directly to their homes from a producer. Legislation and judicial decisions have jerry-rigged laws periodically to address the shipping provisions, but nothing has yet satisfied consumers or producers.

Indiana follows the Post-Prohibition "Three-Tier System" with respect to wine sales. Tier one is the producers, who can sell their wines only to wholesalers, or under certain circumstances, to customers who come to the winery. Tier two is the wholesalers, who select from producers the wines to be offered to retailers. This means that some 95% of all producers never have a chance to offer their wines for sale to retailers.

Tier three is the retailers, who select from the wholesaler catalogs the wines they will offer to customers. This means that many wines in the wholesaler catalog will not be selected by the retailer. Consumers can buy only from retailers. In short, wine consumers in Indiana are limited to choices already made for them by wholesalers and retailers.

While recent court decisions have found portions of this system to be unconstitutional, wholesaler and Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco appeals keep the issue in limbo. Consumers, however, have begun to resist the Three-Tier System. Foremost in this resistance movement is VinSense, Inc., a consumer advocacy membership group formed in spring 2007. VinSense has drafted legislation it will urge members of the General Assembly to adopt in the upcoming session. Membership in VinSense is free, and information about the organization can be found at www.VinSense.org.

Our video offers some insights into the work of VinSense.