Blog

While the wave of litigation to remove legal barriers to retailer direct-to-consumer (DtC) keeps crashing against the breakwaters of district courts, a recent ripple in the courts may signal a potential shift in rules around self-distribution, which could have deep effects on the industry in the years to come. First, the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis […]

Online wine marketplaces are a way for consumers to purchase many of their favorite brands with a few clicks, and often enjoy discounted or included shipping to boot. But state regulators are starting to take note of their shipping practices. States like Ohio are arguing that these web shops are not only depriving the state […]

The District Court for Arizona recently ruled against a Florida retail shop in the latest in an ongoing series of lawsuits that seek to address the right of alcohol retailers to engage in interstate direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping. The Florida retailer in this case, which was joined by two Arizona wine collectors, argued against an Arizona […]

Congratulations, your winery has grown to a point where shipping under someone else’s license has become too great of a risk, and you’ve decided to search for a direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping compliance partner. There are choices in the marketplace, so how do you know which company to work with? As you conduct your due diligence […]

Effective January 1, 2024, wine and spirits products will be subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling Program (BCRP). This change follows the passage of SB 1013 in September last year and reflects efforts by the state to help manage and reduce waste from beverage containers by extending the BCRP to a class of products […]

By Jeff Carroll, WineDirect   Wineries in the United States can ship to 97% of the U.S. population for direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping, right? Not exactly. Most people think of states as either open to direct shipping or closed, but the reality is more nuanced. Although 47 states, representing 97% of the population, allow some form of […]

All categories saw growth January to June in 2023, compared to that same time in 2022  The first half of 2023 has come and gone, with new product registrations showing positive growth across categories. Spirits new product registrations increased 20% from January to June 2023, followed by wine (+10%) and beer/malt (+1%). Overall, Product Registration […]

The direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping channel has seen a continuation of movement tracked in the January release of our Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report, with dips once again occurring in overall volume and value. Note: The proprietary data featured in this mid-year report is compiled from an algorithm measuring total DtC shipments based on millions of […]

Small wineries breaking in to the direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine business sometimes choose to partner with third-party services that make big promises about handling compliance and licensing needs. Of course, there are numerous partners that can provide excellent help with managing these needs. But caution is in order when a third-party service makes sweeping claims, for […]

Some promising direct-to-consumer (DtC) happenings have occurred in both Alabama and Delaware in the last few weeks. The DtC application process in Alabama has been made easier, with less information required. And there’s a clear sign that Delaware might open up to allow DtC wine shipping. We share the details below. DtC license application developments […]

Among those who, for whatever reasons, oppose direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping of alcohol, one argument that keeps coming up is that consumers should not be able to have alcohol shipped to their homes because of the risk of counterfeits. That is, there is apparently a belief that if an alcohol product is sold without the involvement […]

A Q&A with Arun Kurichety, COO & General Counsel, Petalfast  In an effort to better understand potential cannabis concerns in the beverage alcohol industry, I sat down with Petalfast’s Arun Kurichety. Further expanding on Arun’s keynote address at the 2023 Sovos ShipCompliant Wine Summit, we discussed trends in the cannabis industry and what alcohol producers should know. […]

Over the last few years, one of the leading issues affecting the direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping market has been the ongoing effort by states to regulate third-party shipping services, specifically fulfillment houses. At various times, it has seemed as though a deluge of new rules and restrictions around using fulfillment houses was about to sweep […]

Preparing your business for direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping is no small feat. Between licensure, compliance concerns, tax accuracy and regulated reporting, overwhelm may seem inevitable. With the right partner by your side, you can focus on the delivery details that matter most to your customers. But there’s one delivery element that no one can control: […]

In a recent Commerce7 and Sovos ShipCompliant webinar, experts from each team shared the latest statistics and trends in direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine and offered tips on how to leverage them to grow your business. Here are the main takeaways from presenters Zach Kamphuis and Karen Urquhart of Commerce7 and Sovos ShipCompliant’s Alex Koral. DtC wine […]

The wholesale market remains one of the more fruitful and effective ways for beverage alcohol suppliers to get their products into the hands of consumers. And in many cases, selling wholesale through what is called the three-tier system is the only way for a winery, brewery, distillery or cidery to enter a state’s marketplaces. As […]

Direct-to-consumer shipping wine lovers enjoy the convenience of having their favorite vinos shipped to their front door. But what happens when, for whatever reason, they aren’t available to accept their wine deliveries? Whether they aren’t available during the day or they don’t have someone 21 or older available to sign for their package, these challenges […]

Under a settlement agreement, breweries located outside of Oregon now have more options for selling into the Beaver State, including direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping and self-distribution to retailers. The settlement arose out of a lawsuit filed by a group of Washington breweries last year challenging Oregon laws that limited beer self-distribution to in-state breweries and DtC […]