July 19, 2021 SAVE THE DATE: DTC Wine Symposium January 19-20, 2022 For the first time, the DTC Wine Symposium will be available as both an in-person conference and a livestream event! Attendees of the 15th annual conference can expect two full days of programming with thought-provoking keynotes, practical sessions, roundtable discussions on a variety of ... Read more
Alabama will become the 47th state to open for winery direct-to-consumer shipping, August 1, 2021. Here is a statement made May 14 by Wine Institute, a public policy association of California wineries and related businesses: “Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation (H.B. 437), based on Wine Institute’s model direct shipping bill, on May 13, 2021. ... Read more
As previously reported, legislation was introduced that would have surreptitiously eliminated a Tennessee consumer’s ability to purchase and receive wines directly from a favorite winery. House Bill 742 would have limited Tennessee residents to direct shipments sent ONLY FROM THE VINEYARD and not through what are called fulfillment houses. Fulfillment houses are widely used by wineries to warehouse wine, pick and pack shipments, and then arrange for shipment using common carriers ... Read more
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES: HOT STATES ALABAMA: Moves Closer to OpeningAs you know, Alabama currently bans on winery DTC shipping. SB138, introduced this year, would allow for winery DTC shipping and includes a fulfillment house license requirement. The bill passed the House unanimously on 4/1/21 and moves to the Senate. UPDATE 4/30: On 4/29/21, the bill, now ... Read more
Summary: This report analyzes the likely impacts of passage of the New Jersey bill currently being considered by the Assembly and Senate, known as A1943/S2683 (the “Bill”). The Bill would expand the offering of direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) shipping permits to wineries that produce more than 250,000 gallons of wine per year. New Jersey has allowed DTC ... Read more
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES TENNESSEE: Winery DTC Shipping under Threat! Two new bills in Tennessee pose a grave threat to winery DTC. We need your help reaching TN wine lovers to help oppose the bills ASAP. House Bill 742 and its companion Senate Bill 705 would ban winery shipments to TN residents that move through a fulfillment ... Read more
Legislative Updates KENTUCKY: DTC Permits PostponedKentucky’s new law allowing licensed shipments of wine, beer and spirits goes into effect today, July 15. But as Wine Institute reported Monday: “Wine Institute had hoped that the state would allow licensing and shipping to take place in parallel with the process of drafting and enacting the regulations. However, ... Read more
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES Even with the Coronavirus pandemic dominating the news, and state legislatures, there is still news to report on wine direct shipping. KENTUCKY BECOMES 46TH LEGAL STATE FOR WINERY DTC SHIPPING As reported by Wine Institute, April 8:Kentucky’s New DTC Shipping Rules Become LawKentucky’s new law to allow for the direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping of ... Read more
DTC Wine Symposium: Jan 22-23, 2020Hilton Concord Hotel Concord, CA The national summit on DTC sales and marketing – and the primary fundraiser for Free the Grapes! – returns this January. Registration is now open. Workshops, Town Halls and Sponsor Sessions will offer practical solutions to common challenges and opportunities, such as club member retention, ... Read more
DTC Wine Symposium Update Yes, we are six months away from the January 2020 DTC Wine Symposium but the Steering Committee has been hard at work this summer. Workshop Sessions: Want to speak?The Steering Committee has identified several potential topics. Check out the Request for Proposal. Roundtable and Town Hall Sessions: What topics should we cover? ... Read more
