Hidden Loophole in Wine Shipping Bill Bans Consumer Access to Thousands of Wines

WASHINGTON--()--The new wine shipping law inserted into the recently approved Massachusetts budget continues to endorse a ban on the shipment of hundreds thousands of wines into the state. This fact has gone unmentioned in coverage of the issue and in the bill itself, despite the American Wine Consumer Coalition, its members and other advocates alerting lawmakers to this loophole in the law in recent months.

All of the following wines may not be shipped to Massachusetts residents under the new wine shipping law because the only U.S. source for these wines is wine retailers and wine stores, which are banned from shipping into the state under the new law:

French Champagne
French Bordeaux
French Sauterne
French Red Burgundy
French White Burgundy
French Rhone Wines
French Loire Wines
French Alsatian Wines
French Rose From Provence
All other French Wines
German Rieslings
All Other German Wines
Spanish Rioja Wines
All Other Spanish Wines
Vintage Port From Portugal
Barolo From Italy
Barbaresco From Italy
All Other Italian Wines
Austrian Riesling
Austrian Gruner Veltliner
All Other Austrian Wines
Australian Shiraz
Australian Barossa Valley Wines
Australian Clare Valley Wines
Australian Eden Valley Wines
Australian Adelaide Hills Wines
All Other Australian Wines
New Zealand Pinot Noirs
New Zealand Chardonnays
New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs
All Other New Zealand Wines
South African Pinotage
All Other South African Wines
Chilean Merlot
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
All Other Chilean Wines
Argentine Malbec
Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon
All Other Argentine Wines
Uruguayan Tannat
All Other Uruguayan wines
Canadian Ice Wine
British Columbian Wines
All Other Canadian Wines
All Greek Wines
All Other Wines Sold, But Not Produced, in the United States

In addition to all foreign made wines being banned from shipment due to their only U.S. source, wine stores and wine retailers, being banned from shipping to Massachusetts, the following wines and products will also be banned for the same reason:

  • The vast majority of rare and collectible American wines most often sold at auction houses and wine retailers
  • The vast majority of non-American (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, etc) collectible and investment grade wines that are almost always sold by retailers and auction houses.
  • Wine-of-the-Month Club Memberships
  • Wines sold as parts of Gift Baskets
  • The vast majority of Kosher wines

“We understand that a small cup of water for the parched is better than no water at all, however there is no reason why the legislature could not have provided the state’s consumers with a full glass of water— or wine—rather than choosing to unnecessarily protect special interests,” said Tom Wark, executive director of the American Wine Consumer Coalition.

By banning the delivery of an entire class of wines, the Massachusetts legislature may have made the same mistake they did the last time they attempted to address this issue and invited a constitutional challenge and lost. It would be in the best interests of the Legislature, the State, and, most importantly, consumers, to see this new law expanded to allow consumers to have wine shipped to them from out-of-state wine retailers as well as from out-of-state wineries.

Contacts

American Wine Consumer Coalition
Tom Wark, 707-294-2376
Executive Director
tom@wineconsumers.org

Release Summary

Loophole in new Massachusetts wine shipping law continues to endorse a ban on the shipment of hundreds thousands of wines into the state.

Contacts

American Wine Consumer Coalition
Tom Wark, 707-294-2376
Executive Director
tom@wineconsumers.org