SACREMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR) today announced its support for a bill that would correct two oversights to the 2014 law that legalized out-of-state wine shipments to Massachusetts’ consumers. House bill 3891 would allow Massachusetts’ own wine stores to ship wines out of state and give the state’s consumers the right to receive wine shipments from out-of-state wine stores—both of which were overlooked in 2014.
Set for a September 12 hearing before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, H3891 would provide the state’s wine stores with the advantage of having access to the broader American wine marketplace, while giving Massachusetts consumers access to thousands of wines unavailable in the state or from out-of-state wineries.
“Massachusetts has a long history of problematic and archaic laws governing wine commerce that it successfully began to address in 2014, and this bill will finish that work,” said Tom Wark, executive director of NAWR. “Massachusetts consumers will have access to all wines via direct shipment and the state’s wine stores will be unshackled to expand their sales.”
While wineries only sell the wines they produce, wine stores and retailers sell wines produced by domestic wineries, imported wines, rare and collectible wines and manage the popular wine-of-the-month clubs.
The proposed bill will govern shipments from out-of-state wine retailers in the same manner as winery shipments are currently regulated, including the requirement that sales taxes be remitted to the state. Additionally, out-of-state retailers will be required to submit reports to the state on wines shipped and will be required to pay an initial licensing fee of $300 and annual renewal fee of $150.
About the National Association of Wine Retailers
The National Association of Wine Retailers represents wine stores, Internet retailers, wine auction houses and wine-of-the-month clubs located across the country. It advocates for a well-regulated free market in wine and provides its members with key benefits helping them navigate a changing wine marketplace. More information is available at http://www.nawr.org.
