Martha Coakley lost the battle (against wine, that is)

If, like me, you've encountered the cynical shrug that tasting room staffers give you when you ask for wine to be shipped to Massachusetts, then the news is getting better.

You see, whatever your stance is on the drama-filled Senate race between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown, wine drinkers can celebrate the fact that Coakley just lost her battle against the right for Massachusetts residents to have wine shipped to their state.

Coakley appealed a court ruling that struck down the Massachusetts law that forbids direct wine shipment from producers who make more than 30,000 gallons a year. This means that whether you're enjoying a bottle in Tuscany, Bordeaux, or Barossa, you'd better guzzle it there, because you can't ship it home. And with ever-stricter airline security measures, it's increasingly tough to take it with you.

This does not mean that you can ship a case home from Napa during your vacation next week. Neither FedEx nor UPS will ship your wine to Massachusetts because other laws which also seem to violate the Commerce Clause still stand.

Open direct shipping will require legislative debate, further wrangling, and probably more "yeah, but.." workarounds that stand against consumer choice.

There's reason for optimism. Progress will be made, albeit slowly. Remember when you had to live near New Hampshire or wait until the holidays to buy alcohol on Sundays?

Or when Christmas was illegal in Massachusetts?