Shortly after a compromise was reached in Indiana that would allow direct shipments with a 24 case per year limit per individual and a 1,000 case limit per winery, Senate President Pro Tempore Robert D. Garton sent the bill to the Senate Rules Committee, which is considered a “graveyard for legislation”. Instead of helping to […]
Earlier we noted that Pennsylvania Governor Rendell opposed direct wine shipments because they would increase the chance that minors receive alcohol. After taking a lot of heat for that “colossal lie”, Rendell changed his tune and is now saying that it’s all about state revenue. “The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which manages the state’s 640 […]
Pennsylvania Governor Rendell wants to “maintain the state system” where consumers that order out of state wine must pick them up at a state-controlled liquor store. In this system, consumers must pay an 18 % state tax, a 6% sales tax, and a $4.50 handling fee. The governor’s office claims that this is necessary to […]
The Massachusetts House and Senate overrode a veto by Governor Milt Romney , writing into law a bill that will allow small farm wineries that produce less than 30,00 gallons per year to ship directly to consumers. It also allows residents to take home bottles of wine purchased at restaurants if the restaurant re-corks the […]
Two competing bills are alive in Kentucky, but neither are very favorable for wineries. One that made it out of state House committee would only allow onsite sales for small farm wineries. The second made it through the state Senate and would force all wineries to use wholesalers. Read more here.
Three wine shipping bills were proposed in Arizona, and one made it out of the Senate committee. This bill would allow small farm wineries that produce less then 50,000 gallons each year to make offsite shipments of wine to Arizona consumers. The Arizona distributors, of course, are pulling out all the stops to prohibit direct […]
In a letter to the Wine Institute yesterday, Simone Marstiller, Secretary of Florida�s Department of Business and Professional Regulation, announced that out-of-state wineries can officially make wine shipments into the state of Florida. In August, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled in the case of Bainbridge, et al. v. Turner that Florida’s wine shipping laws […]
A Wyoming bill unanimously passed the House Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee that would bring Wyoming to compliance with Granholm. Wyoming is currently a limited direct states that allows licensed out-of-state wineries to ship up to two cases per year directly to consumers. However, in-state wineries are treated differently. The new legislation effectively applies […]
The State of New York Division of Alcoholic Beverage yesterday officially approved FedEx to make wine shipments directly to New York consumers. Carriers approved to ship to New York are required to “capture and maintain specific information, including a signature and the New York Out-of-State Direct Shipper�s license number of out-of-state wineries.” Both FedEx and […]
From the Baltimore Business Journal: Maryland wineries will be prevented from directly selling their wines to retail stores and restaurants starting March 31, according to an administrative ruling the state’s comptroller’s office issued earlier this month.
Add Idaho to the long list of states that are currently revisiting their wine direct shipping legislation. The proposed legislation is being pushed by the Wine Institute and would create a limited direct model with a $50 permit and a customer aggregate volume limit of 24 cases per year.
We noted earlier that Kansas was revisiting their laws and leaning towards prohibition. However, a new bill sent to the Senate would open up direct shipments to retailers and consumers, as long as the consumers pick up the wine at a licensed liquor store. Lawmakers in Kansas are keeping a close eye on the Costco […]