No other issue is more important to the growth of the wine industry because under the present mandatory three-tier system, market access is severely restricted and, most often, practically closed to the majority of producers. It serves neither consumer nor producer efficiently. I believe it is the single greatest deterrent to the growth of the wine industry. Distribution systems can be illustrated graphically. For most industries, the graph looks like a funnel.
Suppliers represent the narrow end.
A greater number of distributors are located at the point where the funnel begins to open wide. The base represents millions of consumers. In this system, products move quickly and conveniently from supplier through distributor to consumer. The game for most wineries is how to get through the constricted part of the hour glass. Through the 1950's the majority of California wine was shipped in bulk to bottlers and marketed along with spirits.