Legal Issues Impacting Wineries & Consumers
by AllAmericanWineries.com™
I am one of many wine consumers who believes that change is sorely needed to modify the draconian wine shipping laws on the books in many states today. It's a shame you can't order wine for shipment to an adult recipient across many state lines. Unfortunately, depending on the state, it can be a felony to do just that! If you've ever traveled to a different state and visited a winery, you may have purchased a bottle or two to carry home. Calling the out of state winery to order more wine is another matter. Efforts to change interstate shipping have struggled over the years, and while many people mistakenly believe the recent court decisions will lift all the barriers, that is far from the case. For some background on this issue, check out the following links.
Free The Grapes! - A California trade association working nationwide in attempts to support consumer choice, support new laws that provide the necessary regulations, controls and tax payments while permitting the shipment of wines in interstate commerce while respecting local laws. Excellent facts and figures on the rapid consolidation of wine distributors and how it hampers interstate shipments of wine from the explosion of small wineries nationwide.
Direct Interstate Wine Shipment Laws - A state-by-state analysis of laws relating to direct wine shipments into a state. This fine compendium was prepared by the The Wine Institute.
WineAmerica.org - The mission of WineAmerica is to enhance the public perception and business environment of American wine-growing through marketing, public information and grassroots government representation initiatives.
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