Digital Wine Routes Revisited
When all is said and done, direct shipping regulation is to remain subject to state legislation. Some progress has been made to allow online retailers and wineries to ship without too much of a hassle. The important thing is that the wine shipping regulations are improving across the board.;
You might be required to conduct some research and most online wine clubs and shops provide detailed information about their wine shipping rules. So theres no need to worry your wine collection is in jeopardy.;
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.
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Whats The Deal With Wine Shipping Laws
Ever read about a wine and you cant find it anywhere? You might be getting subjected to archaic state laws. Find out whats happening with wine shipping and how this system is about to get upgraded.
How do you buy wine? It seems reasonable that if you like to shop online that you should be able to buy wine online too. Unfortunately, many state laws are archaic and align to the ideologies of Prohibition, which ended almost a century ago. To make matters worse, many of the restrictions hurt American wineries more than imports. Lets take a look at how wine shipping laws affect you and what you can do to help change the rules. Dont throw in the towel yet, theres hope!
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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.
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.;;
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Shipping Beer Liquor And Wine With Fedex
allowsFedEx Delivery Resources
FedEx alcohol shipment rules include:
- You have a FedEx account number
- You have signed an alcohol shipping agreement contact with FedEx through your account manager
- You must use inner packaging of EPS foam or molded fiber tray
- You must package the alcohol in the center of the shipment, away from the packages sides
- Your package must be deemed sturdy by FedEx
- You must clearly label the shipment and meet FedEx guidelines
- You must clearly label the package as containing alcohol
- You must receive a signature upon delivery from an adult that is 21 or older
Ship To A Ups Access Point Location
Approved wine shippers may use the Ship to a UPS Access Point® location service in conjunction with Adult Signature Required for consumers who prefer to pick up shipments from UPS Access Point locations.
To ship wine to a UPS Access Point location:
- Shippers must use a UPS Locator tool and the “Accepts Restricted Articles” filter to select an approved destination UPS Access Point location
- Shippers must also use approved UPS Access Point “Contains Alcohol Beverage Adult Signature Required” labels for wine shipments sent to UPS Access Point locations
- Wine shipments can be redirected to UPS Access Point locations with the ability to accept restricted goods
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Can You Ship Wine To California
For retailers and non-retailers alike, making sense of shipping regulations when it comes to shipping alcohol in the United States can be challenging. Each state not only creates its own regulations regarding alcohol shipments, but individual counties within that state may also have fashioned their own rules. So, the question of the day is: can you ship wine to California?
The short answer is, yes, you can. Individuals or retailers with the proper licensing can ship alcohol to California, or from California to different states. Where you live, where and who you are sending to, and how much wine you want to ship are all questions that should be asked before you take your package to the nearest post office.
Can I ship wine to California? Individuals without the proper licenses are not allowed to send alcohol. USPS prohibits the shipping of alcohol by individuals. People who want to ship wine through FedEx or UPS can do so, but have to have the right license and sign an agreement with their chosen shipping carrier. This typically means you must be a commercial entity. At the other end of the shipment, an adult over the age of 21 must sign for the package to obtain it legally.;
States that have banned the shipping of alcohol are:
- Alabama
- Rhode Island
- Utah
Changes On The Horizon
As indicated, some states have loosened up their restrictive direct shipping laws with the dawn of the new millennium. Unless direct shipments are prohibited or limited to on-site orders, the wineries usually need a Direct Shippers Permit. They might also need to register at the state, submit reports, or file for in-state tax.;
The catch was to change or, at least, amend the three-tier system which had been in effect since after the Prohibition. This system recognizes three groups in the wine business: wineries , distributors or wholesalers, and retailers. This means a winery sells the label to the wholesaler, who then sells to the retailer, and the retailer was the only one allowed to sell directly to the consumer.;
To continue on a positive note, things are much different now. A lot of states allow direct shipping and sales from the winery to a consumer. As a rule, the wineries and required to obtain proper in-state and/or out-of-state licenses as well as the Direct Shippers Permit. However, the regulations dont stop there.;
Some states, such as Ohio and New Jersey, allow direct shipments to small scale and boutique wineries only. The annual production limit is 250,000 per year for these two states, but it can be much lower than that. For example, Arizona puts a 20,000-gallon limit on the annual winery production.;
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There Are A Few Zip Code Restrictions
Local laws prevent us from shipping to certain zip codes that are considered “dry zip codes” in Alaska, Florida, Idaho and New Hampshire. We do ship to most of the zip codes in these states, but our system will tell you if the zip code you enter is one that is excluded by law at the time the order is placed, after the shipping address and zip code is entered.
Oregon Opens Direct Shipping To New York
New York consumers will now be able to order from Oregon wineries, a move that wasn’t immediately possible after New York passed a law in June allowing out-of-state producers to ship directly to state residents.
Oregon’s Liquor Control Commission, with the help of the attorney general’s office, has drafted an advisory explaining that the state’s law allows for direct shipping of wine between Oregon and New York. The action was deemed necessary when it became clear that differing wording in the two states’ laws could prevent Oregon wineries from shipping to customers in New York. In turn, it wasn’t entirely clear whether New York wineries would be allowed to ship to Oregon.
Oregon is one of 14 so-called reciprocal states, which allow direct shipments–without the need to buy a special permit or pay taxes–only from wineries in other states that extend the same privileges. New York’s new law–which was passed in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling –requires wineries to buy a shipping permit and therefore was not technically encompassed by Oregon’s direct-shipping laws.
Earl Jones, owner of Abacela Vineyards and Winery in Roseburg, Ore., figured that all he had to do was fill out New York’s license application before he could start shipping wine to consumers there. Then he hit questions 35 and 36 on page 3 of the application form.
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What Type Of Wine Did You Order
Different grapes have different travel tolerance.
Speaking of Pinot Noir, it is the Paris Hilton of grapes, says Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, Master of Wine and partner at;winering.com.
Its high maintenance.; It gets airsickness, travel sickness and will need at least a few weeks to recover.
Cabernet and chardonnay are tougher wines. So may not need as much down time.
But travel sickness, a.k.a. travel shock, is a real thing.
The wine actually can have a dumb phase, says Simonetti-Bryan.; That basically means it goes to sleep for a bit, so it has no smell or flavor.; But then you wait a few weeks and, like Sleeping Beauty, it wakes up again.
Now, while all wines are sensitive to extreme temperatures, your expensive stuff, like your Champagnes or Bordeauxs, will probably get white-glove treatment throughout their entire journey.;
Champagne, especially, needs to be treated like the Queen it is because if the temperature gets too high and it gets warm, the effervescence will basically cause it to explode.
Definitely be cautious and give these wines a few weeks to get used to your home before you open them.
On the flipside, wines like Madeira and Port are basically indestructible because they were created as far back as the 16th;century and had to survive long journey from Portugal to England, says Simonetti-Bryan. So open them, leave them unfinished on the counter for weeks, do what you want with them.
The 3 Precautions To Take When Shipping Wine
Entrepreneur
Youre having some business partners over for dinner this weekend and you decide to order some nice wine.;
Great idea, but should you drink that wine immediately after it traveled in box on a truck?
It depends. I mean have you seen Ace Ventura?;
So you need to take precautions and ask yourself a few things.
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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.;
How Much Does It Cost To Ship Wine
Many factors come into play when figuring out how much it costs to ship wine, but on average it costs a business $40-60 to ship a case of wine from coast to coast in the United States. Many online wine stores charge customers a reduced shipping fee ranging from $10-25.
The shipping costs for the stores grow depending on whether the destination is a business or a home, how heavy the actual bottles are, how big the box is, and what kind of discounted rates the company has negotiated with the shippers.
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More Reasons Shipping Costs Vary
How far the wine has to travel has a lot to do with actual shipping costs. Most of thewine produced in the U.S. ships from the west coast, mostly California. And much of the wine imported from Europe is warehoused on the east coast, in places like New Jersey. Some wine clubs choose warehouses in the midwest to keep costs roughly equal as wine gets shipped to each coast.
Shipping wine to a home or business impacts the cost, too. FedEx charge more to sendpackages to residential addresses as opposed to business addresses. When you deliver to an office during business hours,you drop off the package, get a signature, and youâre done. When you deliver to a residence, a wine shipment which requires anadult signature and canât be left at the door. If no one is home, you have to take the time to leave a notice and attempt redeliver the package. That gets expensive and increasingly, wine stores and wine clubs are passing that additional cost on to the consumer.
Shipment size has a big impact on the cost, too. It doesn’t cost twice as much to ship 4 bottles, than 2 bottles, so ordering larger shipments keeps the per botle shipping cost down.
Here are some sample prices of 100% recycled wine shippers to help understand the actual costs of shippingwine :
| Box size |
|---|
| ~$77.00 |
Shipping Wine With Ups
UPS®;Wine Program
UPS provides wine shipping services for approved customers who are licensed to ship wine. Select the links below to learn more about our program.
Permissible Shipments
All wine shippers must enter into a UPS Agreement for Approved Wine Shippers.
If youre interested in becoming an approved wine shipper, schedule a free, 15-minute consultation with a UPS expert. Book a session today.
All wine shippers must provide any required state licenses to UPS. State license must be submitted to
Important Updates
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What If I’m Not Home When My Shipping Order Arrives
Upon delivery, our delivery partners will ask to see the receivers ID to ensure they are 21 or older. The receiver will also be required to sign for the order. If you are unable to be home, we will make two additional attempts to deliver your order, and then it will be held at the shippers distribution center.
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.
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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?;
When Should I Order Wine To Make Sure It Arrives Before Dec 25
To give your wine the best chance of arriving before Dec. 25, here are the dates you should order by. Remember: These dates are based on the destination of the wine. And theyâre our best guess! Shipping and delivery are going to be busier than ever this year because of pandemic limitations combined with the regular holiday shopping season. So be sure to give your wine plenty of time to get where itâs going!
Monday, Dec. 14: CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, TX, WA, WY
Tuesday, Dec. 15: CO, FL, LA, ND
Wednesday, Dec. 16: GA, IA, MI , MN, MO, NC, TN, WI
Thursday, Dec. 17: DC, IL, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI , NH, NJ, NY , OH, PA, VT, VA, WV
Friday, Dec. 18: NY
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