Is It Legal To Ship Wine To A Winery In Arkansas
Arkansas Direct shipping prohibited, with on-site exception: Consumers must visit the winery in person to have wine shipped to their home, up to 1 case per calendar quarter. Retailer shipping prohibited. California Winery direct shipping permitted reciprocal retailer shipping permitted.
The out-of-state wine manufacturer must be located in a state that affords similar direct shipping privileges to wine manufacturers in New York. The out-of-state wine manufacturer must comply with New York State laws governing the direct interstate retail sale and shipment of wine to New York residents for personal use and not for resale.
Is It Legal to Transport Alcohol into a New State? The basic answer is maybe. The Federal government does not care where you drive with alcohol. However, some states do care for example, Pennsylvania prohibits bringing alcohol into the state.
Keep Bubble Wrap Optional
When packing wine, bubble wrap should be treated as optional. Here are a few reasons why:
- It takes up a lot of space. Itâs no surprise that bubble wrap fills a lot of space, especially when itâs already wrapped around another item. If used excessively, bubble wrap can reduce your number of units shipped per box, which decreases your profit per sale.
- Itâs not the best cushioning material for wine. Objects of a different nature, like pottery or handmade jewelry, benefit more from bubble wrap than wine does. Due to its cylindrical shape, a wine bottle can easily slip out of bubble wrap or simply not stay put. Itâs best to have your box sizes down pat and only use firm partitions to keep wine bottles spaced out.
If you must use bubble wrap for any reason, wrap the bottles and lay them lengthwise in a box. This gives the bottles maximum safety and stability–a crucial part of learning how to package wine for shipping.
Going Back To The 21st Amendment
The majority of the US liquor laws that include shipping regulations came after the 21st amendment effectively ended the Prohibition. That said, specific shipping requirements and permits were, and still are, up to state governments.
Bear in mind, these laws had been in effect long before UPS, FedEx, and other carriers. To make things more complicated, some states require a winery or retailer to be physically present in the state to be eligible for direct shipping. As for the most restrictive states, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Utah top the list.
However, the laws dont only apply to wine businesses, but they also effectively make individuals subject to penalties. For example, it would be illegal to send a bottle of wine to your friend in New York if you live in Montana. To avoid penalties such as these, some carriers have introduced rules of their own.
You would need special agreements if you were to ship via UPS and FedEx. On the other hand, the United States Postal Service refuses alcohol shipments altogether. But is there a silver lining?
Recommended Reading: How Tall Is An Average Wine Bottle
Shipping Insurance For Wine
Cabrella offers third party shipping insurance for items including wine and other alcohols. Purchasing shipping insurance for wine can help shipment delays, damages, or breakages along the way. Remember, things like temperature fluctuations and pressure changes can affect the quality of a bottle of wine. Purchasing shipping insurance helps protect your investment and can give the customer peace of mind when it comes to ensuring their product.
Cabrella can help get wine to its final destination through tracking analytics, partnerships with domestic and international carriers, and transparent pricing. Users can create a shipment on Cabrella’s easy to use app, compare carrier rates, and print shipping labels all in one place. Cabrella allows users to track their shipments using state of the art tracking technology to see where there may be delays or risks along the way. Finally, Cabrella can deliver your shipment where it needs to go through delivery confirmations.
Cabrella also offers expert packing tips and tricks for getting your shipment ready to go. Cabrella can walk you through the requirements that specific carriers have for liquids and alcoholic items in a shipment that might vary from carrier to carrier.
Get To The Bottom Of Wine Shipping
The red states do not allow wine shipments. Image from freethegrapes.org
There 10 states that flat out dont allow wine to be shipped directly to you . What this image doesnt show you is that there are several states with additional rules and fees, making it hard for small wineries to deliver their wines to you. Lets look at some of the details on the archaic laws of wine shipping:
- If you live in Alabama you have to get special prior written approval from the Alcohol Beverage Control Board and prepay for deliveries.
- If you live in Utah youre a criminal if you bring more than 2 bottles of wine home from your travels.
- If you live in Arizona or New Mexico you can only receive 2 cases of wine annually thats only one bottle every two weeks!
- If you live in Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, wineries must buy a yearly permit just to ship to you.
- If you live in New Jersey large wineries cant ship you wine. No
- If you live in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska or Maryland you can pretty much get whatever you want, as long as they can get it to you.
Also Check: Who Sells Total Wine Gift Cards
Can Wine Be Shipped Out Of State
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Alaska, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia. , West Virginia, and Wyoming are the only 14 states on the list. The Times reports that there is an agreement that would allow consumers to order wine from retailers outside their state.
How To Ship Alcohol Overseas
You’ve fallen in love with a Bordeaux produced at a small French vineyard, and you can’t imagine life without it. Unluckily for you, however, “once you’re changing countries, gets exponentially more difficult,” says Weinberg. First, Weinberg advises, you will have to “make sure the product can be legally shipped into the destination without a permit.” You can check this guide to see your state’s individual regulations. If you don’t, your “product could be seized, quarantined, or destroyed,” warns Weinberg. And no one wants that, do they? Shipping out of the U.S. into another country will require you to brush up on state and federal export rules and the import rules of whichever country you’re sending it to . Good luck. Once again, it’s probably best to go through a retailer or distributor.
Weinberg also recommends that you confirm with the retailer or distributor if any taxes or duties need to be paid on the product you intend to ship. If so, they should be able to advise you on how to pay them, and how much they will cost you. Lastly, “purchase from a reputable dealer who knows the ins and outs of laws, and ideally has experience shipping to your destination of choice,” Weinberg advises.
In short, as much as you might like to personally pick up, wrap and send a bottle of booze as a gift, this is one task better left to professionals.
Don’t Miss: Kroger Wine Club
Who Can Ship Wine
UPS only accepts packages containing wine from shippers who are licensed under applicable law and who have signed and entered into a contract with UPS for the transportation of wine.
Note: UPS provides service for other alcoholic beverages on a contract basis only. For shipments containing beer or spirits, shippers must enter into an approved UPS agreement for the transportation of beer or spirits as applicable, must be licensed and authorized under applicable law to ship beer and spirits. UPS accepts shipments of beer or spirits only among and between selected states. For more information visit How To Ship Beer and How To Ship Spirits pages.
Is It Legal To Ship Alcohol Directly To Consumers
The majority of states have statutory provisions that allow for out-of-state manufacturers to ship alcoholic beverages directly to consumers. The majority of states restrict the direct shipments to wine. Out of the 54 states, territories and commonwealths, Alabama specifically prohibits the direct shipment of alcoholic beverages to consumers.
You May Like: Proper Wine Cooler Temperature
Is It Legal To Mail Alcohol
There isnt a universal answer to this question, as it depends on the laws and regulations in each state, city, and county that both the seller and buyer are located in.
Why is that? When Prohibition ended with the 21st Amendment, it gave states the power to regulate and set their own laws on the sale of alcoholic beverages in their states.
There are some universal rules for shipping alcohol that include:
- Alerting the carrier that a shipment contains alcohol
- Paying a special alcohol package fee
- An adult that is 21 or older must sign for the package
How Do I Ship Wine To Seattle
Since we ship only wine in Seattle, we are one of the only wineries authorized by SHIP wine. Bring a few bottles from home or drop them off at our boutique to compliment your collection. In addition to packing and shipping the bottles, we will email you the details for the shipping and tracking its easy for you to use!!
Read Also: Good Red Wine For Pregnant Woman
If Youre Thinking About Starting A Business Wine Not
Getting wine from your warehouse to customers on time is a must for every wine business owner. Customers love a business that meets their shipping expectations, especially for foods and drinks.
With the right packaging, legal documentation, and focus on quality, you can become an unstoppable eCommerce wine machine. Refer back to this wine shipping guide whenever you need to refresh yourself on the basics.
Can You Ship Wine Across State Lines
In short, yes. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that states allowing in-state wineries to ship bottles DTC cannot prohibit out-of-state wineries from DTC shipping. Thus, states allowing in-state shipping from wineries must also allow interstate shipping from wineries, making DTC shipping much easier for wineries.
Also Check: Wine To Drink With Lasagna
Can You Have Wine Shipped To Ny
A Direct Shippers License is required to ship wine to New York consumers. To be eligible for a Direct Shippers License, the applicant out-of-state wine manufacturer must be located in a state that affords to New York State wine manufacturers substantially similar direct shipping privileges.
What About Independent Wine Clubs
Wine clubs that are not run by wineries, such as the Wall Street Journal Wine Club, Wine Awesomeness, and International Wine of the Month Club, will be affected differently based on how they operate.
Wine clubs that source juice from producers and then bottle it under their own labels can technically apply for a winery shipping license. Alternatively, wine clubs might partner with local retailers or operate local warehouses to fulfill orders, rather than shipping them across state lines.
While there are legal ways for independent wine clubs to operate, these businesses are far more likely to be affected by stricter shipping regulations.
Wine clubs must understand the requirements which are constantly changing otherwise, they risk acting in non-compliance without even knowing until they are caught, Koral says. Though we cannot condone it, there are always some out there that do understand and are still willing to risk violating laws.
Of the wine clubs that VinePair reached out to, Logan Lee, CEO of Wine Awesomeness, noted that its members will not be affected, while Wine Access declined to comment.
Also Check: Can You Buy Marsala Wine In The Grocery Store
Will Digital Retailers Be Affected
Retailers like Wine.com and national retail chains like Total Wine & More are not typically affected by DTC shipping restrictions because they have considerable resources. Total Wine & More, for instance, has brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S., all of which have in-state sales licenses with which they can ship wine orders. Online retailers without physical locations may have the ability to be present in states that do not allow DTC retailer shipping to get around these barriers, through local warehouses or retail partners.
We are licensed and pay sales and excise taxes in the states where we need to, Rich Bergsund, CEO of Wine.com, says. This includes operating our own local warehouses which carry retail licenses just like a store in states where that is necessary. Bergsund stresses that these changes will not effect Wine.com consumers.
Unfortunately, smaller, specialty retailers typically cannot afford to operate local warehouses to get wines across state lines.
Other wine sales sites, like Vivinos Marketplace, merely act as an intermediary between consumers and local retailers, so consumers shouldnt have an issue using these types of sites. However, wine lovers should pay attention to the retailers to which they are directed even if a wine shop in New Jersey is just a few miles away, a Manhattan-dweller is not explicitly allowed to purchase wine and ship it into New York.
How To Ship Wine
If you’re still wondering, can you ship wine to California? Here is your answer: if you’ve received the right licensing and know where you’re shipping your wine to, how to ship wine becomes the next question you need to ask. Any fragile or valuable shipment must be packaged carefully, and wine is no different.
Different carriers may require that liquids be double or triple packed, which means shippers need to add one or two waterproof layers inside the final shipping container. Check with your approved shipping carrier for their specific requirements.
There are ways to safely package the wine to make sure it can withstand the shipping process. Experts recommend using foam inserts or other stabilizers to keep the bottles at the center of the shipping container without touching one another or the sides of the box. The bottle or bottles should fit snugly, without being packed too loosely or too tightly. Absorbent material should be used in the layers of packing material in case there is a leak.
Additional waterproof layers should be packaged around the wine to prevent any other damage occurring from a leak. If improperly packaged, a leak could end up damaging other packages along its shipping route.
Read Also: Personalized Wine Labels Bridesmaids
Double Check Required Paperwork
Alcohol is a heavily regulated product, and with that comes essential business paperwork. Verify that you have necessary documents completed, like your eCommerce business license, shipping license, dealerâs license, or manufacturerâs license.
Shipping licenses are particularly important as they dictate which states you can ship into as an alcohol business. You can get a shipping license from the state you plan to do business in by contacting their tax office and filling out the application. A shipping license incurs a fee and, depending on state laws, will require you to renew it every couple years.
How To Package Wine For Shipping
Unlike t-shirts, electronics, and even other kinds of food, wine storage and serving temperature needs to be accounted for. Individual bottles are weighty, fragile, and temperature-sensitive, so they have to be handled properly to prevent bottle shock in wine.
Be sure to check out our wine storage guide, too–whether for your own establishment, advising customers, or both. For now, check out these tips on how to package wine for shipping and handling.
You May Like: Ups Ship Wine
Wine Shipping Laws In The Us
From wholesale and direct shipping laws to state-issued permits, wineries need to follow a set of regulations to legally ship wine across the US. At the time of this writing, more than 50% of the states allow direct shipping to consumers, but certain restrictions may still apply.
For example, there might be an annual limit of cases per customer and some counties may prohibit on or off-premises sale, or even ban alcoholic beverages altogether. This article will help you get a better understanding of wine shipping rules for each state. Youll also learn more about the history of these regulations and how theyve changed.
Where Do We Ship
We ship wine to most states, though there are still some states that prohibit retailers from shipping wine in their state. We operate multiple warehouses around the country to comply with state laws. To determine if Wine.com ships to your state, use the drop-down menu at the top of the page to select your state. This will ensure you see correct inventory and pricing for your area. If we cannot ship to your state, you will see that on the red bar at the top of the page alerting you that your state prohibits delivery of wine from out-of-state retailers. We do, however, ship our non-wine items to all 50 states, including non-wine gift baskets, accessories and glassware.
Read Also: Best Low Carb Red Wine
Can You Send Wine In The Mail
Yes, you can send wine in the mail. As long as youâre a licensed manufacturer or dealer, and the bottles are packaged well, youâve met the basic requirements.
Shipping services require those mailing wine to provide proof of business licensing and shipping licensing. Companies like FedEx and UPS require those shipping alcohol to complete an approval process before sending spirits via parcel.
How To Ship Alcohol Internationally
Importing and exporting alcohol across country borders presents even more challenges. Youll now need to meet state, city, and country laws, as well as be familiar with exporting and importing laws.
Youll need to ensure that the distributor sending the shipment has the correct permits or the US government can seize your shipment. Youll also need to be aware of taxes and duties for international beer, spirit, and wine imports.
We recommend not managing international alcohol shipping yourself instead, work with reliable third-party retailers and compliance companies to ship beer, liquor, and wine orders.
Stay on top of the latest alcohol trends and regulations
Recommended Reading: White Wine With Lasagna
