WSWA

The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, abbreviated WSWA, is the national trade association representing wine and spirits distributors in the United States, headquartered in Washington. Founded in 1943, the organization represents approximately three hundred seventy wholesale distributor member companies that operate under the three-tier system mandated by the Twenty-first Amendment, which requires alcoholic beverages to flow from producers to distributors to retailers as a regulatory structure designed to prevent vertical integration and promote market competition. Member distributors collectively handle over eighty percent of all wine and spirits sold in the United States, representing over fifteen billion dollars in annual wholesale revenue. The association advocates on federal and state policy matters including direct-to-consumer shipping regulations, alcohol excise tax rates, three-tier system preservation, franchise law reform, and alcohol beverage labeling requirements before the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The annual WSWA Convention and Exposition, held in Las Vegas each spring, is the industry's most important business event where distributors discover new brands, negotiate distribution agreements, and network with distillers and vintners from around the world.