Why Arizona Can Legally Discriminate Against THIS Group Of People

As an Italian by blood, I learned to appreciate wine from a young age. Even if I couldn't drink it, my parents made sure I knew how to tell a good glass from a bad glass, and that's helped me exponentially since I turned 21.

That taste has made me into a bit of a wine snob, and I like to try as many different varieties as I can. Arizona's made that impossible for me.

Banning Wine In Arizona?

In 2021, two Arizona wine enthusiasts levied a lawsuit against the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association of Arizona. This suit was brought on after the two were barred from ordering bottles of wine online. Why?

The wine was a rare bottle from a California retailer, which explicitly goes against the Arizona law requiring wine retailers to operate a physical store in-state to ship directly to customers, something this retailer didn't have.

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How Can This Be Legal??

Arizona is incredibly unique in this, to a point where this suit challenged the law was unconstitutional. Unfortunately, in 2023 a federal judge upheld the law, stating that it serves the interest of the state by protecting minors, regulating quality, and helping generate more revenue through taxes levied.

Just recently in early March, a three-judge Ninth Circuit panel upheld this ruling, making it clear this violated no federal or state laws, and allowing Arizona to discriminate against wine aficionados. If you do want a bottle of a rare wine from out-of-state, you better start driving.

[Courthouse News Service]