February 10, 2026 - Bennett Caplan, Ph.D., President, Abridge

Bennett Caplan, Ph.D.

President, Abridge

Speaker Bio

Bennett Caplan has served as President of Abridge™ for over 15 years. He has worked in the alcohol beverage sector for thirty years – as a partner in an international law firm, an executive focusing on alcohol beverage matters in corporate life, and as head of a global wine and spirits association. From 2003-2023, Bennett served as the Head of Secretariat of FIVS, a nongovernmental organization fostering collaboration on public policy matters, whose members collectively represent about 75% of the major wine producing countries. An attorney and government affairs specialist with extensive experience in public policy and regulatory matters regarding the alcohol beverage industry, he was previously Senior Director of International and Government Affairs at Allied Domecq, Director of Policy Development at Seagram, and a partner at McDermott, Will & Emery. He serves on the board of the AIDV - International Wine Law Society, whose 350+ members from 30 countries consider legal questions affecting wine production and trade. Bennett has served as President of the Washington Foreign Law Society and as Vice President of the Washington Fletcher Alumni Association. He has taught graduate-level courses on international trade policy at the University of Maryland and Syracuse University. Bennett is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University; the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University; and Boston College Law School.

Facilitating Market Access with Abridge - An International Alcohol Regulations Database

Abstract

In today’s uncertain global economy, an already complex environment has become even more challenging for the alcohol beverage sector - with unprecedented regulatory changes affecting those trading internationally in wine, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages such as ready‑to‑drink cocktails and no/low alcohol beverages.

Oft-changing regulations affect product labels (health warnings, allergens, nutrition, serving facts, ingredients, and required languages), as well as composition and production standards, import/export documentation, packaging regulations (dimensions, food contact materials, glass requirements, and deposit container schemes), and federal taxation and tariff rates.

The time required to keep abreast of these developments with certainty is more than most modern professionals have at their disposal. But the costs of trading in ignorance of relevant regulations can be enormous, damaging both profits and brand equity.

This presentation will highlight how use of the Abridge database - which contains regulations for alcohol beverages from 54 markets, representing 110+ countries around the world – helps its users comprehend the bewildering range of regulatory and trade agreement provisions that apply to moving wine, spirits, and other alcohol beverages around the world.