NAPA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Senate Bill 616 will be heard by Maryland’s Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs committee on Friday, March 7, at 1:00 p.m. If passed, the Senate bill and its companion, HB1260, would significantly improve consumer choice in wine for Maryland’s wine lovers, according to Free the Grapes!, the national grassroots coalition on wine direct shipping. (www.freethegrapes.org)

The hearing is open to the public and consumers, retailers, wholesalers and other interested parties are encouraged to testify. The hearing will be in the Annapolis’ Miller Senate Office Building, 11 Bladen Street, 2 West Wing. Free the Grapes! encourages Maryland consumers to log on to www.freethegrapes.org and personalize messages to their state legislators in anticipation of the hearing.

Senate Bill 616 and House Bill 1260 would allow any winery or retailer licensed by Maryland to ship a limited amount of wine directly to consumers 21 years or older in the state. Both bills are based on the “model” direct shipping law that has been successfully implemented in the majority of states for wineries. “The model bill is supported by the Federal Trade Commission, was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court, and is the solution that helps consumers, satisfies regulators, creates a new revenue source for states, and promotes in-state wine tourism,” said Jeremy Benson, executive director, Free the Grapes!

Currently, all direct-to-consumer wine shipments are prohibited by Maryland law. The state is one of 15 that still do not allow interstate, winery-to-consumer shipments.

Both shipping bills are endorsed by the Maryland Winery Association, which represents Maryland’s 31 wineries, as well as Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, a consumer advocacy group. Maryland is the 18^th largest state for wine consumption (source: Adams Wine Handbook 2007), and has tried for years to break the wine wholesaler’s iron grip on distribution.

Background

There are now more than 5,000 wineries in the United States, at least one in each state. Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on direct shipping in May 2005, winery-to-consumer shipping has become legal in 35 states, which collectively represent 81% of wine consumption in the U.S. The model direct shipping bill allows licensed wineries and retailers to purchase a permit, pay taxes, mark boxes, and consent to the jurisdiction of the state, among other provisions.

Free the Grapes! is a national consumer-winery grassroots coalition of more than 300,000 consumer and winery members and supports legal, regulated direct-to-consumer wine shipments.

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