Gothamist joins oenophiles around the country in lifting a glass to celebrate the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday that sets the stage to allow winemakers on Long Island and elsewhere to ship across state lines directly to out-of-state consumers. The New York Times describes the decision and the restrictive laws that were impacted:

By a 5-to-4 vote, the court overturned state liquor laws in New York and Michigan that gave preferential treatment to in-state wineries. Both states permit in-state wineries to ship directly to consumers, bypassing both retailers and wholesalers.

Michigan prohibited direct shipment by out-of-state wineries while New York nominally permitted it for out-of-state wineries that maintain a New York office, a requirement that no out-of-state winery has met and that the majority on Monday found so financially burdensome for small wineries as to amount to a prohibition.

Gothamist looks forward to the opening of the floodgates, as we are not fond of moderation or restriction, especially when it comes to our wine. Cheers!

Read Gothamist's past wine coverage, by Tamara Lover (pictured above right with Laren Spirer).