Shipping Wine…Or Not
Here’s a link to my last column in the Jackson Free Press, which addresses issues with wine shipping laws. Living in California now, it’s easy to take it for granted. But some states do not allow direct shipping, leading to great disappointment, let me tell you.
If you read it, I’m adding the original conclusion below. (My piece must have been too long.)
Of course, another solution would be to visit wine country. Limit yourself to one suitcase and on the way home, you can check a safely packaged case of wine. I suppose, technically, it’s not legal to bring in alcohol that was not purchased through licensed retailers, especially into dry counties. However, I’ve known many bottles to be transported that way, and they make much better souvenirs than t-shirts or beer huggies.
wine shipping laws, wine column
May 30th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Last time I checked, it is legal to ship dirty laundry to any state. Ship the clothing home and check two cases
May 30th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Hey Farley, Great article, really well written. They might have cut your last paragraph for suggesting something that might not be quite legal…perhaps a policy of the publication?
May 30th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
when i was out in california, lots of wineries shipped wine for me. when they offered, i asked about Mississippi laws prohibiting it and most said if i was buying they were shipping. a long way from internet ordering but cool none the less. everthing the wineries didn’t ship i split between a shipping agent and what i could fit in my luggage. the shipping agent was like 100 bucks/case with coustom packing. it was well done and they took care to make sure it didn’t sit on a hot tarmac for days. it was worth not lugging around 2 cases of wine through the rental car place, the tram, and finally to check in…. and one broken bottle of the good stuff would make it worth the expense…not to mention the wine stains.
i will have to dig up the card, but the place that shipped my wine was run by a mississippi ex pat, as well.
Ross
May 30th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
jeff, good idea.
Megan, thank you and maybe.
Ross, I guess i’m more focused on the budget -friendly path. I suppose some wineries are ok breaking the law, but we don’t where I work. But we do tell people they can ship it themselves via UPS, saying it’s olive oil.
June 1st, 2007 at 2:08 pm
true, the suitcase method does leave more bread to spend on more wine.
even buying a bottle or two here and there it adds up, especially if you are from mississippi where the small winery’s product never finds its way. i was like a kid in a candy store. it did not take long to amass a daunting pile of wine. i shipped it, checked it, carried it on and even had some splits of dessert wine stuffed in jacket pockets, and still “had” to drink a few bottles between nappa and SFO. all that to say leave yourself some wiggle room in your budget. if you are a bit impulsive like me, you may find you have purchased more than you can pack comfortably.