The Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission has made it easier for Direct Shippers to determine if a consumer lives in a wet or dry area of TN by listing the zip codes for dry areas. Tennessee law only allows wineries with an approved direct shipper’s license to ship wine to consumers in municipalities that allow off-premise […]
New Jersey’s New Tasting Law Effective May 1, 2010
New Jersey’s new law to permit tastings of beer and spirits in retail premises takes effect on May 1, 2010. It also makes changes to the existing law that allows for wine tastings. The legislation limits the size and amounts of samples within a 24 hour period; defines tasting event, sampling and sample; sets out […]
Massachusetts Direct Shipping Update
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley will not appeal a January Federal Appeals Court decision upholding an earlier District Court decision which overturned the 2005 direct shipping law. In January, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2008 district court ruling that found that the state law governing direct-to-consumer shipments by wineries was unconstitutional. […]
Virginia Passes Fix-It Bill for Third Party Shippers
Wine Institute Eastern Counsel Terri Beirne has been working since July 2009 with the Virginia ABC Board, and representatives of Wine America and the Virginia wineries to resolve problems created by VA ABC Circular Letter 09-05. That Circular prohibited Virginia direct wine shippers from using any third-party service providers, namely fulfillment or pick and pack […]
Florida Introduces Online System for Brand Registrations
It was announced by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Charlie Liem that beginning April 17th*, a new online instant processing system for brand registrations will be available on the Florida Alcohol Beverage & Tobacco (AB&T) website shortening wait times from 80 days to 2 minutes. The new software will pull federal […]
Iowa Governor Signs Direct Shipping Legislation
On March 10, 2010 Governor Culver signed Senate Bill 2088 which includes provisions to transition Iowa from a reciprocal shipping state to a permit state and allow unlimited direct-to-consumer shipments. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2010 and brings Iowa into compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2005 Granholm v. Heald ruling by allowing all […]
Circuit Court Rules that Massachusett’s Wine Shipping Law Is Discriminatory
The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston this week ruled in favor of the winery plaintiffs in Family Winemakers of California (FWC) v. Jenkins, the Massachusetts Direct-to-Consumer Shipping case. Wine Institute coordinated and filed an amicus brief in this case last summer, authored by Harvard Law School professor Bruce Hay. The Institute also provided […]
Update on VA ABC Circular Letter 09-05
On November 19, Terri Beirne, Wine Institute’s Eastern Counsel, met with the VA ABC Board, their Director, and representatives of Wine America and the Virginia wineries to continue discussions about the July Circular Letter 09-05 prohibiting direct shippers from using any third party service providers. Despite earlier indications, the Board has no plans to issue […]
Massachusetts Appeals Court Hears Wine Shipping Capacity Cap Argument
On Nov. 2, 2009, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston heard Tracy Genesen, legal director for the Coalition for Free Trade, present the winery side of the argument in the FWC v. Jenkins lawsuit being appealed by the state. Massachusetts wine consumers were previously the winners in a Nov. 19, 2008 court ruling […]
Maine Applications Available
The direct shipping applications for Maine are now available on the Wine Institute website. The direct shipping permit allows wineries to ship up to 12 nine liter cases of wine to a recipient’s address each year. The Department of Public Safety, Liquor Licensing and Inspection Division has confirmed that there are no prohibited shipping areas […]
