How To Send A Bottle Of Wine As A Gift
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A bottle of wine makes a great gift for special occasions. If you live far away from the recipient, however, sending wine can be complicated. It is illegal in the US for non-licensed individuals to ship wine through the mail. If you would like to send someone wine, you will need to buy wine through a licensed company. Fortunately, there are many companies that can send fine vintages, bottles, gift baskets, and club memberships to your recipient. Select from a wide range of products to find the perfect gift for your friend or loved one.
How Much To Ship Bottle Of Wine
A wine bottle weighing three pounds or less costs anywhere from $8 to $16 to ship in most scenarios. This information is particularly handy if youâre more likely to ship out single bottles of wine at a time.
The heavier the package and the longer the distance, the more it will cost to ship. You can mitigate such expenses by looking for bulk shipping rates and having dedicated picking and packing shifts.
Dont Forget Your Labeling
Its also important to remember to label your wine properly. One of the simplest but most important tips that some shippers forget? Use Fragile labels on your wine to ensure that handlers know to treat it with extra care, temperature labels to indicate whether it needs to be refrigerated or directional labels to show the correct way to store it. Meanwhile, many carriers, such as UPS, require a special label to be affixed to any package containing alcoholic beverages.
Its easier than ever to enjoy and sell an amazing variety of wines from around the U.S. and the worldbut you have to know how to ship them properly to preserve their integrity and character. To find out more about our wine shipping options, call Air Sea Containers at 596-9448 or contact us online for a free quote.
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Expert Tips For Packing Wine Bottles In Shipping Boxes
Written by Cory Levins
Theres nothing like a bottle of great wine. The sound of the cork popping, the aroma and, of course, the palate-pleasing deliciousness. But every wine has a story, and part of that story is how it gets from one place to another.
Good wine is a fragile thing, and that can make shipping it intimidatingly tricky. At Air Sea Containers, we like to empower our customers with the knowledge that allows them to fearlessly face any shipping challenge. Whether youre shipping a basic table wine or a $500 bottle of Barolo, these five key tips from wine shipping experts will help you ensure that your vino makes it safely to its destination.
Shipping Wine Here Are A Few Tips
By: Better Packages on October 5th, 2017
Shipping wine can be a delicate and tricky business. Since a 2005 decision by the Supreme Court, more and more states have allowed out-of-state licensed wineries and wine brokers to ship wine. In fact, only six states now prohibit direct to consumer wine shipments according to the Wine Institute, the advocacy group for Californias wineries and affiliated businesses.
Once the legal hurdles of mailing have been overcome, licensed wine shippers have an even more difficult task: safely getting the fruits of their labors into the glasses of those who want to appreciate them.
Here are a few tips for making that happen:
Upright or Flat?
Experts recommend shipping most wines standing up. For older wines that have been aged on their sides, Wickmans Fine Wine Auctions advises laying them flat. They have this advice: If you have a collection of premium, good quality wine and you are certain of the purchase and storage history and if you know it has been lying flat, undisturbed, then you can confidently ship it lying flat. However, wine that has not been stored in cellar-like conditions or in temperature control should be shipped standing upright as poorly stored bottles are more likely to leak if shipped lying flat.
The Right Box
The Right Protection Inside the Box
Closing it up and sending it on its way
Salud!
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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
Some Bottles Travel Better Than Others
The first thing your friend or loved one will do after they call to thank you for their gift is start planning out the meal or night theyll be enjoying their new bottle of wine! When shipping wine, the amount of time the bottle spends traveling and its varietal will determine the best time to uncork the bottle after delivery.
If your recipient is in the same state as you and the delivery arrived on time, theyll be fine to drink their wine the same day they receive it. If multiple delivery attempts were needed to get their signature, or your recipient is out of state, then its best to advise them to let their wine sit and settle for at least a week or two.
Hardy wines, like chardonnay, cabernet, and merlot will recover from traveling quickly, but wines like pinot noir, Champagne, and sparkling will need to settle a little longer due to sediment and effervescence.
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How The Hell Do You Ship Wine
quote:Put a pound of coffee or a bottle of olive oil in the package and label it that instead of alcohol.
Originally posted by Hunter:
quote:Put a pound of coffee or a bottle of olive oil in the package and label it that instead of alcohol.
You would have been a good bootlegger Sean. I have an account with UPS through my company and I just send it without identifying it. Have had no problems.
My driver once told me:”Unless it ticks, I don’t give a $hit”That would be my attitude.
Just curious. If they found I lied about the content, will I get any punishment?
It runs in the family, one of the state of Oklahomas biggest bootlegger is family.
Originally posted by just a skosh:
quote:My driver once told me:”Unless it ticks, I don’t give a $hit”That would be my attitude.
That’s funny. Now who was it on here that said label it “vinegar” since, after all, it could be.
It runs in the family, one of the state of Oklahomas biggest bootlegger is family.
Sean, are you a Billingsley, by any chance?
quote:Originally posted by GaelTir:Add a wrapped piece of chocolate if you want to prove temp’s did not get too high in the shipper.
quote:Originally posted by GaelTir:Add a wrapped piece of chocolate if you want to prove temp’s did not get too high in the shipper.
How To Mail Alcohol Out
When you cross state lines, the shipment of alcohol becomes more difficult. That its because you now must meet the requirements and regulations in both the state youre shipping from and the state youre shipping to.
There is a loophole that helps consumers ship beer, liquor, and wine to other states if that other state permits the shipment of alcohol to consumers. Instead of shipping a bottle from your state to their state, simply find a retailer based in the state youre shipping to and order it from that retailer. That way the retailer wont need to cross state lines and only meet the rules of their states alcohol regulation board.
Do you own a brewery, distillery, or winery? Learn how to serve a food menu with 2ndKitchen.
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Is It Legal To Ship Alcohol
It is technically legal to ship alcohol in the United States. However, that does not mean that it is easy. The only people who can legally ship alcohol are companies who are licensed to sell alcohol to parties in states that permit shipments.
So, if you are not licensed to ship alcohol, then you will not be able to do so. You can face a penalty for shipping alcohol if you try to do so without the proper license.
Other Wine Delivery Options
Want more information about getting wine delivered where you live? Check out our Wine Delivery guide. It includes information on how interstate wine shipping works, same-day wine delivery services, and how to make wine delivery more convenient. We also offer a state-by-state and city-by-city reference for same-day wine delivery.
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Molded Paper Pulp Packaging
Strong pulp moldings are designed with the specific intent of protecting wine bottles in transit. An eco-friendly option, paper pulp packaging provides good protection and solid shock absorption, its the perfect packaging for wine bottles. Combine this with a sturdy corrugated box, and your wine will remain safe and secure from door to door.
Why Interstate Wine Shipping Is So Complicated
Direct-to-Consumer alcohol shipping is governed by individual state regulations, and any person or business looking to legally ship wine needs a DTC license. For most alcohol retailers, the license is covered by their off-premise wine sales licenses. A California retailer, for example, can generally legally ship wine to residents of California.
If an out-of-state entity wants to obtain a license to legally ship wine to another state, however, it must apply for a separate, specific DTC license.
According to Alex Koral, industry relations advisor for ShipCompliant, a company that works with wineries to facilitate compliance, there are currently 42 states that offer out-of-state entities licenses to ship DTC in their states. Residents of Utah, Oklahoma, Delaware, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky may not receive any DTC wine shipments, for the most part in Utah, non-compliance is actually a felony.
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Use Firm Inner Partitions
Inner partitions are essential when it comes to shipping more than one bottle of wine. Molded fiber dividers are useful because of their light weight. Firm foam dividers are also great because they fill void space in the box and make boxes easier to stack.
Research materials and figure out whatâs within your budget. Thereâs no right or wrong approach here, other than ensuring bottles donât strike each other mid-shipment or fall over in the box.
How To Pack Liquids For Shipping
Alcoholic beverages often come in glass bottles which are significantly more delicate than their plastic counterparts. For this reason, you need to be especially careful when you are shipping glass wine bottles, beer bottles, or liquor bottles, or shipping liquids in other delicate containers.
To safely ship alcoholic beverages, you should use strong cardboard boxes that have trays inside of them that provide sections for each bottle.
This will keep the bottles separate and prevent them from smashing into one another. You can also wrap the bottles in bubble wrap for additional safety. You may want to do this if you are shipping very expensive wine.
After that, you can put packing peanuts into the box and then close the top of the box and tape it shut. Then carefully stack the boxes into the truck.
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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.
Faqs On Shipping Your Wine Collection
Moving can be a stressful process, most moving companies do not transport wine since it is perishable and moving trucks can get intensely hot during transport. It is best to leave the transportation of your wine to a professional wine transportation company.
Should I ship my wine in the summer?
We typically recommend against moving your collection during the summer months. If you must transport your wine during the hot summer months, be sure to only use temperature controlled door-to-door service.
Will shipping my wine with the bottles upright dry out the corks?
Most wine transported from wineries is shipped upright. It takes months and months before the threat of a cork drying out and most transportation is done in weeks, not months. In addition, todays synthetic corks are resistant to drying out. The only time you should be concerned about corks drying out is if you have old, vintage wine. Any wine less than 10 years old should not be a problem.
What is the benefit of using styrofoam shippers instead of cardboard?
Why shouldnt I ship my wine with my furniture?
Why does it take longer for my wine to arrive than my furniture?
How do I ensure my wine is properly temperature controlled while in transit?
I only have a few bottles, can I pack them in my suitcase and take them on the plane?
Can I overnight my wine using FedEx or UPS?
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We Are Having Extreme Weather Conditions Will My Delivery Be Safe
Total Wine & More may hold a wine shipment during extremely hot weather to protect the quality of items purchased. These occurrences are most likely during summer months in southwestern states. When we temporarily hold your shipment, well notify you by email. Well also post a message on TotalWine.com so shoppers know new orders may be delayed.
Selecting A Delivery Date
We offer date-specific deliveries for most items purchased. A calendar with all available delivery dates will be presented to you after you enter your shipping address. You can select a delivery date up to six months out by clicking on the calendar arrow to move forward months. Note that we cannot select a specific block of time for your delivery, only a specific date. The carrier will make three delivery attempts before the item is returned to our warehouse.
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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.
Why Must I Select A State Before Shopping
We ship from multiple warehouses due to state laws, so PRICES AND SELECTION MAY VARY depending on which state you ship to PLEASE start shopping on Wine.com by first using the state drop-down menu to select the state where you want your items delivered. Once you choose your desired delivery state, our site will adjust the selection we offer to ensure you are only shown items that we can legally ship to that state. CHANGING STATES FROM YOUR CART MAY CHANGE YOUR ORDER! To avoid this unfortunate experience, it is best practice to empty your cart and select your state before you shop!
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