Painful loss in Oregon
The loss of the Oregon Tasting Room is especially painful. ("Oregon Tasting Rooms Closing," winesandvines.com Headlines, June 12. Read an edited version on page 18.)

This was the best example of a unique outlet to showcase and provide wines from small, boutique wineries that were otherwise lacking their own tasting room, or too small to afford distributors and state license fees elsewhere than Oregon.

The Oregon trade board and other statewide interests should have been more on the ball to support and maintain this valuable representative of Oregon wine excellence.

Also, Patrick McElligott was an equally valuable educator and promoter for these otherwise unknown and unrecognized wineries. Patrick is widely known and appreciated for his tasting/judging skills and ability to teach wine knowledge. He will do well now representing a single winery, but it's a loss to not have him representing the entire Oregon wine industry.

Bob "Bo" Bentley
Wine writer, Certified Wine Educator
Port Townsend, Wash.

Fighting three-tier tyranny
Just finished reading Tom Wark's excellent editorial in the May 2009 Wines & Vines. Entrenched beneficiaries of the three-tier system will fight tooth and nail to preserve the status quo. Laws that fly in the face of common-sense economics often remain on the books permanently, to the detriment of the little guys--consumers and producers--and that is a shame.

Keep up the good work; you are fighting the good fight.

Roger Otting, CPA, CFA
Operational Risk Consultant
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Des Moines, Iowa