Why the fight for legal, regulated direct shipping remains vital Why does the fight for winery-to-consumer direct shipping remain vital? Great success has been achieved since the Free the Grapes! campaign was established in 1998. The map of the United States representing freedom for direct shipping has changed; from a patchwork of closed states and ... Read more
Free the Grapes! Urges Wine Lovers to Speak Out Against House Bill 187 Delaware is still one of the few states in the nation that continues an archaic ban on direct-to-consumer winery shipments. The latest bill being introduced to address this is a step backward in the fight for consumer choice and direct shipping. HB ... Read more
As we approach mid-year and the end of spring legislative sessions, there are a number of updates to share with you regarding legislation affecting direct shipping. Winery-to-Consumer Direct Shipping Opens in MS and AR Over the last few months, we’ve been excited to share that progress was made in these states to open them more ... Read more
May 16, 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of a landmark moment for wine lovers, wineries, and common sense: the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 decision in Granholm v. Heald which was a milestone in the fight for winery-to-consumer direct shipping. While it didn’t make national headlines for long, its impact has been aging beautifully — like ... Read more
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ON DTC SHIPPING This spring has been a busy season for legislative activity around DTC shipping and associated issues. We saw some great success in a couple of areas, while in other areas we remain hopeful that we can continue our campaigns in the next legislative sessions. Below is a look at current ... Read more
We’re happy to report success in Arkansas! This state was one of two that maintained an on-site purchase requirement. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has recently signed legislation that will finally make the state open to winery-to-consumer direct shipping. Arkansas’s On-Site Requirement This requirement meant that consumers were required to visit the winery premises to complete ... Read more
Brush up on your vocabulary around winery to consumer direct shipping The subject of DTC wine shipping is a complex one, seemingly with its own language. Here is a quick rundown of some key words in this conversation; a refresher to help you keep on top of the discussion: Shipping – this is when the ... Read more
DTC WINERY SHIPPING LEGISLATIVE UPDATES Fresh off of the 2025 Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium and we are already seeing action in several states, as predicted by Steve Gross (VP State Relations – Wine Institute) in his keynote “State of the States” address. Mississippi, Delaware, and New Jersey are expected to see legislative action in ... Read more
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES NEW JERSEY: Wineries, We Need Your Help! As reported last month, Free the Grapes! is poised to re-engage its NJ campaign to remove the capacity cap, which ban shipments from wineries and wine companies producing more than 106k cases per vintage. We’re pleased to report that two bills — S.2683 and A.1943 – have ... Read more
