Faqs On Wine Shipping Within Europe And Internationally
Can I ship wine with every courier company?
Do people ship wine by mail?
Is shipping alcohol from Europe to the USA legal?
Does insurance apply when shipping wine by mail or courier?
Is it possible to ship wine internationally as a gift?
Is it still possible to import/bring wine from France to the UK after Brexit?
Can I get wine delivered to my house?
Can businesses organise wine shipping services with Eurosender?
How will Brexit influence wine shipping to the UK?
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.
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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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.
Food And Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health, by ensuring all products are safe for human consumption, kept in food-safe packaging, and stored in clean, temperature-controlled environments. Any location that stores or is intended to store food products is subject to inspection from the FDA. Failure to comply with the FDAs basic safety regulations could have serious consequences for a business.
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Tax And Compliance For Dtc Retailers
Retailers must also follow specific tax rules. Every state that allows retailer DtC shipping, except for Alaska and D.C., require the seller to collect and remit both excise taxes and sales taxes for the state they ship into. Most states also require a regular report from the retailer detailing the DtC sales they have made, though this is often coupled with an excise tax return.
While retailers should already have a handle on managing sales taxes for sales made at their licensed premises, once they begin engaging with DtC shipping they will be faced with a much bigger burden handling sales taxes in all the states they ship into. This can get complicated, because the correct sales tax rate is based on the customers exact deliver-to address, which can be some combination of state, county, city, and special district rates. Some states do make it easy by having a single state-wide sales tax rate, but there are places where the tax rate can be different depending on what side of the street a shipment goes to.
This can make the process of collecting and remitting tax very difficult depending on the state. Tax returns that are still reliant on paper forms or more manual filings processes can also make things difficult for a retailer now dealing with tax policies in several states at once. More states are moving toward simplified online filings, but properly collecting and remitting sales tax remains a major burden for DtC alcohol shippers.
Best Way To Ship Wine From Europe: How To Ship Wine Bottles
Many of Europe’s vineyards produce some of the most sought-after wines in the world, and continue to influence other world cultures, pioneering new growing methods, developing grape genetics, and popularizing wine connoisseurship around the world. If you are a wine-buff, or would just like to sample some great wines while on vacation, then you should know How to Ship Wine Bottles, as you will most-likely discover a wealth of incredible vintages and blends that you’ll want to enjoy at home. When you buy wine in Europe, you are generally expected to take it with you, as many wineries and vineyards lack the resources to ship it all the way back to the United States due to import regulations. This means you have to determine the Best Way to Ship Wine from Europe yourself. But don’t worry, there are plenty of options for getting your wine back stateside included in this detailed guide to shipping wine home from Europe.
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Will Estate Wine Clubs Go Out Of Business
Probably not. Because laws make it much easier for wineries to obtain DTC shipping licenses, consumers in most states shouldnt have issues with participating in winery-run wine clubs or purchasing wine to be shipped directly from a winery, both online and in person.
However, wineries typically have to apply and pay for licenses in each state to which they would like to ship, so Koral cautions that not all wineries may want to go through the effort of getting licensed in all 42 DTC states.
How To Ship Your Wine Collection
Often times people dont think about how theyre going to move their wine collection until they find out that their movers either will not move the collection, or they realize that moving a wine collection along with their personal items is risky. A moving truck will often reach temperatures well above 100 degrees as there is no ventilation or air-conditioning inside a moving truck.Below are some helpful things to consider when moving your wine collection. Click on the Request a Quote link and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.
1. Inventory Your Collection
Keep your own list of the bottles in your collection. You can to use if you do not have one. You can also use the web site CellarTracker to keep an online inventory of your collection.
2. Choose Boxes
There are four primary types of boxes. The box use depends on how you are transporting your collection.
Styrofoam ShipperUsed when shipping via overnight air delivery or cargo via commercial airlines. These boxes are durable and provide a small layer of insulation to protect the wine from temperature fluctuations . Their large size makes them less ideal for transporting on pallets in refrigerated trucks.
Double WallThe preferred box for shipping in a refrigerated truck. The double walled construction and uniform size make these boxes ideal for transporting on pallets.
3. Investigate Carriers
4. Insurance Coverage
5. Check With Your State
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Where You Can Ship Direct
Currently, 14 states and the District of Columbia permit out-of-state retailers to sell directly to their residents, and fulfill those orders through a common carrier. Ten of these states require the retailer to receive a license, three operate under a reciprocal process, where only retailers located in those reciprocal states can ship to each others residents, and two states, Alaska and Florida, dont require a specific license. Except for selling to residents of these 14 states and D.C., it is illegal for a retailer to deliver beverage alcohol into any state in which it does not have a licensed retail operation.
New York Has Additional Regulations
New York regulations prohibit wine and food from being shipped in the same package. Gifts and Baskets ordered that include both food and wine will be sent in two separate packages. Your gift message will be included in both packages and your Order Confirmation will show two order numbers that will also be given to separate tracking numbers once they are shipped.
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Wine Shipping State Of The Union 2021 Edition
Six years ago, I wrote my own State of the Union, Wine Shipping Edition, breaking down the 50 states and one district into tiers based on how expensive and difficult it was for us to send wine into each. Casual wine lovers might be surprised to know that not only are there some states to which we are prohibited from shipping wine, but that each state to which we can ship has its own laws, permits, fees, and reporting requirements. Managing this morass takes specialized software and still a big chunk time for one of the members of our accounting team, so it’s far from the uniform, frictionless open market that Section 8 of the US Constitution promises:
“The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States “
Below you can find an updated summary of what the world of DTC wine shipping looks like, from a winery’s perspective, as we enter 2021, with states broken down into tiers based on the cost and ease of doing business there.
Tier I: The no-brainers
Tier II: Inexpensive and/or fairly easy
Tier III: Moderate expense or requirements
Tier IV: Difficult or expensive enough to be a real question
Tier V: Compliance Headaches
Tier VI: Extremely Difficult/Expensive
Tier VII: Almost entirely prohibited
Notes
Reciprocal Retailer Dtc States
Beyond the 10 license states and D.C., there are currently two states that operate under what is known as reciprocity rules. These states are California and New Mexico, which permit shipments of wine only.
These two reciprocity states allow out-of-state retailers to sell directly to their residents only if those out-of-state retailers are located in a state that allows out-of-state retailers to sell directly to their residents without any licensing, tax or other regulatory burdens. Put more simply, the rules in state B must be as free and open for retailer DtC sales as the rules in state A for a retailer shipping from state B to sell to a resident of state A. They may also require a specific letter of agreement between the two states, indicating that there are no license or tax requirements. Currently, only California and New Mexico have such an agreement.
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Only 14 States Legally Allow Buyers To Have Wine Shipped From Retailers In Other States
The once largely-ignored regulations for interstate wine shipping have seen their enforcement ramped up in recent years.
The internet has changed commerce in innumerable ways. Look no further than major retailer compared to brick-and-mortar decline. But just as some companies are ahead of the curve and some are behind, the law and law enforcement have also struggled to keep up with the ramifications of changing technology, creatingor alteringlegal gray areas. Interstate wine shipments fit into this category. At first, being able to buy wine from across the country at the click of a button seemed like a wine drinkers dream, but as the New York Times recently discussed, for now, the opening of that Pandoras box has actually made interstate wine sales more difficult than ever before.
Alaska, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming: Those are the only 14 states that allow wine to be shipped to consumers from out-of-state retailers, according to the Times. .
Wholesalers have been looking at this issue for quite some time, Daniel Posner, president of the National Association of Wine Retailers, told the paper. They went to state liquor authorities and said, People arent following the laws. Now its all coming to a brutal end.
Label Approval For Imported Alcohol
There are also federal guidelines involving alcohol label approval. You must get a Certificate of Label Approval to import alcohol. The COLA certificate is assigned by the TTB. This certificate allows you to comply with FAA guidelines under the TTBs Advertising, Labeling and Formulation Division . You may apply for the certificate through COLA online. The importer of alcohol must have a COLA when the alcohol is imported.
The COLA process might include pre-COLA authorization. This advance product approval depends on the type of alcohol imported. Pre-COLA evaluations for approval ensure that:
- No prohibited ingredients are in the alcohol.
- Tax and product classifications are clear.
- Ingredients are limited within determined restrictions.
- Beverages without a sulfite declaration are less than 10 parts per million sulfur dioxide.
Rules for pre-approval apply to some wine, malt beverages and distilled spirits. If a pre-COLA evaluation is required for your imports, you must submit all documents with your COLA application.
Its also important to note that your Permits Online username and password should work for COLA Online. There is no need to create a separate account. Also, there are no fees to apply for a COLA.
The TTB has additional guidelines for labeling alcohol. According to these guidelines, you must get a Certificate of Age or a Certificate of Origin for your imported alcohol. The TTB issues these certificates. The certificate you obtain must state:
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Choosing The Best Way To Ship Wine Home From Europe
Deciding how to ship wine bottles home from Europe is an important consideration before embarking on a wine country road trip. Determine the best way to ship wine from Europe before you travel to guarantee your wine will make it home, and avoid spending extra time and money coordinating last minute international shipping arrangements. Ready to embark on a wine-tasting vacation in Europe? Discover incredible wineries and vineyards along one of Auto Europe’s comprehensive road trip itineraries, and drive your European rental car along breathtaking coastlines, palatial orchards, and historic cities, between stops at famous wine-tasting venues, and quaint local eateries.
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Can I Still Order Wine From An Out
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.
Retailers, on the other hand, have a much steeper hill to climb. Although 42 states currently allow wineries to obtain DTC shipping licenses, only 10 of these states allow retailers to apply for these licenses. Three additional states California, New Mexico, and Idaho allow retailers to ship on a reciprocal agreement, meaning that if another state allows this states retailers to ship DTC, they will do the same. That leaves just 13 states that permit retailers to ship out of state.
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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.
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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