Great strides have been made to open all 50 of the United States to winery-to-consumer direct shipping – and we’re almost there! But while much of the focus is on states that ban direct shipping, there is still work to be done in several other states that maintain significant restrictions, despite being “open” to direct ... Read more
Why Many Wineries Can’t Ship to Consumers In Several States Since its founding in 1998, Free the Grapes’ mission has been to not only remove bans on winery-to-consumer direct shipping, but also streamline restrictions on direct shipping in many states. Did you know that several states still carry significant restrictions that hinge on whether a ... Read more
Legislative Updates On DTC Shipping Below is a look at current activities by state, of note: ARKANSAS: DTC Shipping Law Now In Effect As of August 5, the new law allowing DTC shipping, directly to consumers, will be in effect. This is HB 1476, which established a wine direct shipping permit like those in use ... Read more
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
