Editor’s Note: The Coalition for Free Trade (CFT), established by vintners in 1995 as a nonprofit organization seeking judicial relief from laws prohibiting direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipments, announced Nov. 24 that it had ended all activities after achieving significant victories for wineries and wine lovers alike.

Think back to the 1980s and 1990s. Selling wine directly to people who wanted it seemed so simple. Commerce between producers and consumers was like any other product; they ordered, and we shipped. No one noticed, and seemingly no one cared.