March 24th – Steven Harrison, CEO of Vinoshipper and Complete DTC, has been appointed to serve as chair of the Craft Wine Association’s Advocacy Group which formed in 2022 after a yearlong series of meetings with the wine industry.
“I am honored to take this group to the next level as part of the association’s mission to help small producers,” said Harrison. “There is clearly a need for the industry to speak in unison to help modernize the regulatory and business systems relied upon by the wine industry to be safe and compliant.”
Last year, the Craft Wine Association (CWA), in partnership with Vinoshipper, formed a nonprofit 501 c 6 trade association as part of an advocacy program for the industry. In 2022, the Advocacy Group held a series of meetings with regional wine associations and government regulators to explore the needs and direction for such a program.
Vinoshipper has been a longtime partner and supporter of the association’s mission to support small wineries. As chair of the Advocacy Group, Harrison will collaborate with producers, regional wine associations and regulatory officials to advocate for common sense policies to modernize the industry.
“With the use of technology, data and modern e-commerce platforms, including Vinoshipper and others, regulators can more effectively track compliance and collect revenues, leading to safe and legal transactions that will help wineries thrive,” Harrison continued.
As CEO of Vinoshipper for 16 years, Harrison has been at the forefront of regulatory issues facing the industry, including Age Verification, Licensing and Compliance, Tax Collection and Auditability, also known as ALTA.
He has more than 30 years of experience working in finance and operations management and has been involved with several early-stage businesses, including software development and consumer products.
The Craft Wine Association was established in 2016 by Carole Lawson, a certified sommelier and entrepreneur who started the organization with a small group of craft wineries that wanted to overcome challenges inherent with small businesses and improve conditions by reaching new customers with more choices in the marketplace.
