In recent weeks, literally hundreds of Michigan citizens sat down to write their legislators about wine shipping. With no special insider access, and lacking the distribution monopoly's army of paid lobbyists, they hoped that their heartfelt words would suffice. 

Many of you took the time to send WineCAM copies of what you wrote; we asked if we could share some of them online. We hope that their thoughts will inspire many others to follow these examples. Click the headers to see the full text of their letters and emails.
 

From: New winery owner Eileen Brys
To: Governor Jennifer Granholm

Eileen Brys and her husband opened their Old Mission Peninsula winery just days before the Supreme Court wine shipping decision. Their entire business plan -- and their bank loans -- are built around selling wine directly to retailers, restaurants and consumers.

Excerpt: "Now after being open only since May 6, 2005, the Michigan Legislators threaten to pull the business and dream right out from under me. We grew up learning in school that our government was 'of the people, and for the people.' In this case, Bill 4959 is 'of the distributors and for the distributors.'"
 

From: David Ethridge
To: Senator Judson Gilbert

David Ethridge, head of the Lapeer chapter of Tasters Guild, is a wine judge, writer, and international wine tour leader. He writes about a Michigan group he recently accompanied to Sonoma.

Excerpt: "It is the wines that the distributors have chosen not to include in their catalog, or the ones that are produced in such small quantities that the distributors are not interested in them, that were of interest to our group. It would be unfair to deprive Michigan consumers of the availability of these wines simply because the distributors chose not to make them available."
 

From: Madeline Triffon M.S.
To: Rep. Tory Rocca, chair of House Regulatory Reform Committee

If Michigan has a wine goddess, her name is Madeline Triffon. The first U.S. woman Master Sommelier and former head of the Court of Master Sommeliers, she wrote Rep. Rocca right before he and his committee voted to pass the shipping ban and send it to the full House.

Excerpt: "It is utterly inconceivable that, in 2005, we are going to take a gigantic step backwards. So much work has gone into the improvement of our wine production, including long-standing efforts by the Michigan State University School of Agriculture, that it seems a tragedy indeed. Make no mistake: this decision would put many Michigan wineries out of business. This is the brutal reality."

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