The Mississippi legislature passed, and Gov. Tate Reeves signed, over Wine Institute objection, SB 2145, which authorizes permit-based direct to consumer shipping starting July 1, 2025. Unfortunately, a last-minute amendment, which we opposed, provided that any wine that is sold through the state warehouse/wholesale system cannot be direct shipped unless the wholesaler, broker or solicitor, denominates it as “highly allocated” and it is so listed in the state’s database. This limitation presents serious obstacles to both compliance and market access. Combined with the potential for criminal penalties for any breach of the statute, the provision is especially problematic. Wine Institute will continue to work with the legislature to fix the defects in the law and hopes to accomplish that before the session ends on April 6.
