In an effort to help stimulate DTC wine sales, Wine Institute requested that TTB and California ABC provide clear guidance on whether small containers of wine may be shipped to winery customers by common carriers for virtual tastings. During Shelter-in-Place orders, this would replace the traditional tasting room experience where visitors sample small quantities of wines at winery premises.
TTB and California ABC both confirmed today that they will permit small containers of wine to be sent to consumers for virtual tasting under existing regulations, subject to meeting specific federal and state requirements. New York, Florida, Oklahoma and South Carolina will also permit shipping of tastings samples subject to their current DTC regulations and Wine Institute is working on getting approvals from other states that currently allow DTC shipping. For out-of-state shipments, tasting samples are reportable DTC shipments applied to a customer’s quantity limitations, and are subject to taxes and all other requirements of DTC shipments in each state.
