Winebits 779: Sherry-Lehmann, influencers, Los Angeles wine

This week’s wine news: Is iconic wine retailer Sherry-Lehman going out of business? Plus, the TTB cracks down on infuencers and Los Angeles wine history

• Is the end near? The New York Post reports that Manhattan’s Sherry-Lehmann, one of the finest wine retailers in the world, is close to closing. The store, says the Post, owes millions — in taxes to the state, to its suppliers, and to customers. The 88-year-old retailer has been sued by “a pair of well-heeled wine aficionados,” who claim they’re owed more than $800,000 in “undelivered goods.” The blog’s New York correspondent reports this could be true, despite the Post’s sometimes sensational over-reporting. And, says the story, there are plenty of empty shelves – unheard of in a top retailer and a sign suppliers won’t deliver merchandise until bills are paid. If the story is true, it’s a tremendous loss for wine drinkers and another sign the wine business is in more trouble than it wants to admit.

• Wine influencers: The TTB, the federal agency that regulates alcohol, has updated its Internet advertising regulations; as part of this, it says social media – including influencers – must adhere to those ad rules. In particular, those who are paid to use products on Instagram, TikTok, and so forth “may be considered an advertisement,” which would make it subject to the TTB regulations. Interestingly, the agency made clear this applies to industry members who “like” a product on social media – so that their like might also be considered advertising. Talk about throwing a wrench in a producer’s marketing plan. They won’t be able to tell employees to to like Facebooks posts that mention their product.

• L.A. history: Was Los Angeles the birthplace of California wine? That’s the contention of a SOMM TV documentary, noting the region’s ties to the Spanish missionaries who brought wine grapes with them to the Americas. In particular – and as noted on the blog many times – the center of the state’s wine business in in the Los Angeles area in the years before Prohibition. And, because it’s SOMM TV, it recounts the role of the trendy mission grape in making this all possible.s