Best Way To Ship Wine: Ups Vs Fedex
Thinking of shipping wine bottles? Dont think too fast! Wine is one of those items that can be tricky to send out, and theres actually a lot you need to know before you ship.
This article has been updated thanks to valuable information from Wine Business Expert, Deborah M Gray, who has written award-winning books about importing and exporting wine across the world.
It is good to know about the legal regulations, especially if youre a professional who needs to send wine to customers across state lines. The only way you can discover the best way to ship wine for your company is by knowing all the right details.
State Regulations
In order to import wine samples you must have a COLA . This label requires several pieces of information including country of origin, specific type and quantity of alcohol, brand name, purpose of import, the importer’s name and address, and other pieces of information stated here. As regulations in the industry are growing, there are many important pieces of information a wine shipper must understand.
Odds are, if youre interested in the best way to ship wine to someone, youre either the proprietor of a winery, or youre a wholesaler/retailer. The rules might not be the same for all 2 sets of businesses. If youre trying to import foreign wine, we will also cover all the essential facts you need to know.
42 states currently allow winery direct-to-consumer shipping
Other Wine Delivery Options
If youre after a couple of bottles of wine in a hurry, try Drizly or Saucey, which are both like the Instacart of wine, connecting drinkers to sellers and delivering bottles within hours, if not minutes.
There are also many, many local wine retailers offering reduced delivery fees and curbside pickup. I use Hi-Lo in Los Angeles, but give your local independent shop a call. Others, including Americas oldest wine shop, Acker Wines, in New York, are doing virtual tastings. Join them on Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET and Fridays at 12.30 p.m. ET. Check its for details and themes and the links.
Products we write about are independently vetted and recommended by our editors. AFAR may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which helps support our independent publication.
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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.
How To Handle Customs When Shipping Wine
Customs is a crucial part of shipping and you cannot pass through checks without valid documents, especially for shipping alcohol or wine. Here are a few important things to know:
Make clear customs declarations for alcohol: The major factor when you are shipping wine or alcohol is that you need to provide accurate documents, especially when you are shipping large quantities, which require a valid import license. If you cannot handle the customs guidelines on your own, then you can do it with the help of a customs broker. Always remember that you need a valid Federal permit if the wine is for resale or commercial purposes.
Taxes and Duties for Shipping Alcohol: They will charge you shipping duty while exporting wine to any country. The amount is depending upon the alcohol content of the wine, and not just the wine itself. Mostly the charges are like $1-$2/liter of wine. Again, the rates are high for spirits like vodka and cognac. You can always look foradditional information when in doubt while shipping anything like wine or alcoholic substances.
Please keep in mind that all these depend and vary with the rules as per the destination country.
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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.
How To Ship Wine To A Friend
Wine makes a great gift, partly because of how many wine names and wine varietals are available. If you want to learn how to ship wine to a friend, itâs easier than you may think.
Check out these tips on how to get it done:
- Check your state laws and those of your friend . Alcohol shipments are carefully regulated, whether youâre sending within the same state or out of state. Review the alcohol shipping laws on your stateâs tax or commerce website to ensure youâre adhering to all laws.
- Select a shipping company. Since you canât use USPS, it comes down to FedEx or UPS. Both offer competitive ground shipping rates and are capable of shipping fragile items like wine bottles.
- If possible, ship in late spring or early fall. Temperatures during these seasons are milder, which helps prevent oxidized wine. Your wine wonât get frozen or burst open, ensuring your friend will be quite happy when it arrives!
- Package the wine safely and effectively. Using the right packaging materials is essential when shipping wine to a friend. Whether you only need a single molded fiber tray or a box that fits two or more bottles, get what is sufficient for your shipment. Check that the box seals well, there are no old labels on it, and that the flaps are double taped.
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Quick Tips For Shipping Wine Internationally
Many times, when tourists travel internationally and visit the beautiful wine vineyards of France or Italy, they want to purchase a case of their favorite wine and have it sent back home to the states. Unfortunately, it isnt as simple as placing the wine in a box and shipping it back home.
Shipping wine internationally is a very complicated process. It can be even more confusing for winemakers who want to send their product to customers in other countries.
Every country has their own rules and regulations when it comes to shipping wine internationally and receiving wine from an overseas sender. In the United States, the postal service has banned shipments of all alcoholic beverages. Third-party shipping providers such as FedEx and UPS can ship wine, as long as the customer purchases it from a licensed wholesaler, dealer, or distributor.
The growth of the wine industry in the U.S. alone has helped many wine enthusiasts try out brand new flavors. Although wine distributors may already have success in the United States, they would have even more if the overseas wine shipping process was more straightforward.
Dont Be Afraid To Ask Your Carrier
Heres the bottom line: if you dont know something, just ask your carrier! UPS and FedEx have a lot of guidelines for you to follow in order to ship alcohol. However, both UPS and FedEx employ lots of customer service representatives ready to help you out at a moments noticeand that help goes a long way. Just remember to stay away from USPS on this oneat least until the laws change.
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Shipping Information Total Wine & More
- https://www.totalwine.com/customer-service/shipping
- Shipping orders placed after 3 p.m. local time will ship the following business day those placed after 3 p.m. on Friday will ship the following Monday, regardless of delivery method. Can you ship product from one store to another? Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to ship products from one store
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.
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United States Post Office
Unfortunately, if USPS is your preferred shipping courier, you wont be shipping alcohol through them. Beer, wine, and liquor are restrictive substances and are not able to be mailed through USPS. Since alcohol shipments are so often determined by the specific state laws and regulations, USPS abides by all federal laws and regulations, making alcohol shipments prohibited. Even if you want to mail an item in a box that was once used for alcohol, those labels must be completely removed.
International Wine Shop Shipping Information
- https://www.internationalwineshop.com/main.asp?request=SHIPPING_INFO
- For returns please re-pack the wine and a copy of the original sales receipt and send it to International Wine Shop 732 Post Road East, Westport, CT, 06880. Many states restrict the shipment of wine. Please accept our apologies if we are unable to ship to your area.
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Can You Ship Wine Through Fedex
Yes, you can ship wine through FedEx as long as youâre a pre-approved wine seller. FedEx has an alcohol shipping application commercial entities must complete before sending packages out. Once your application is approved, FedEx applies your account information to your shipments so you can quickly and easily send packages out.
Where Can I Ship
We ship wine in the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CT, DC, FL, ID, MA, MN, MO, NC, ND, NJ, NM, OR, VA, WA.
We ship non-alcoholic accessories to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Our product availabilty varies by states due to differing regulations. At this time, we are not able to ship internationally. We do not ship to APOs, FPOs or PO Boxes.
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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
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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
How To Ship Wine: General Overview
First of all, the most important thing to keep in mind is that its illegal for one individual to ship any amount of wine to another person through the mail in the United States, regardless of where you live or whether you try the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx.
That doesnt mean you cant send wine to someone but you cant just stuff it in a box and slap a few stamps on it. Unless youre willing to take a big risk and break the law, to ship wine you need to buy it from a company whos certified to deliver it. The good news is, plenty of companies are licensed to ship wine to most states.
Depending on the quantity youre sending and where its going, there could be additional hurdles to overcome. For instance, if you want to send wine to a friend in Oklahoma, youre out of luck: The Sooner State doesnt allow it, and you might be looking at a felony if you get caught trying.
While the law is mostly the same in Delaware, theres one important loophole: If youre a resident of Delaware and youre visiting a winery in a different state, you can send yourself back a few bottles.
The strictest laws, by far, are found in Utah, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Delaware. Pay particularly close attention to the rules if youre sending wine to those states. An updated master list of all the state law nuances can be found by searching the alcohol statutes over at The National Conference of State Legislatures website.
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How To Send Australian Food Overseas
When considering how to send Australian food and wine overseas as a gift, keep in mind our team at I Still Call Australia Home does this dailywere here to help you.
When you want to send gift hampers to the USA, or any other international countries, there are a few crucial dos and don’ts to consider.
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Napa Wine Shipping We Ship Wine Worldwide
Established in 1985 as a leading shipper in the Napa Valley, we specialize in direct to consumer wine shipping. Whether you are a winery or just visiting the Napa Valley we can handle wine shipping from Napa to most states with reasonable pricing.
We know your wine is important and our goal is to get it to your home or office in pristine condition
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