Why not shoot for the moon?

It appears that the rub between Bronco Wine Company and The Napa Valley Vintners Association is reaching a fevered pitch. Evidently, they're gearing up for a dance with the big boys.

Wine label case before top court

It seems to me that the Supreme Court has a good bit on its plate these days and the chances of the Big 9 actually hearing this one out are slim to none. I find it somewhat ironic that more than a few members of the NVV stand to benefit moreso from the S.C. decision on interstate transportation than the use of the word 'Napa'. Be that as it may, I support the NVV's fight for place name protection. I also support equal protection for regions that are far older and far more important (alright, that last one was a matter of personal opinion, but still...)

Linda Reiff has been getting a good bit of ink lately, and being executive director of the NVV, I suppose this shows that she's doing her job. Here's her argument:

"We have put over $1 million into this fight in legal fees, it is a huge issue, a tremendous issue for the Napa Valley and the name Napa," Reiff said. "The vintners have worked hard to produce great wines and build up this region and now have to protect it."

Fair enough. And what's that about Champagne? Here's the other side of the coin:

"If someone was to raise his hand and say there is some confusion, deal with it like you do with other products. If you have Hawaiian punch, it doesn't come from Hawaii. Maybe there is a call for a disclaimer on the back."

This is brilliant! I would pay a pretty penny to hear a lawyer make this case in front of the Supreme Court. This type of logic is almost as good as the argument the states went in with a few months back: We do it for the kids.