(Wines&Vines) - Ninety percent of the 50 United States are open to direct shipping, Steve Gross, director of state relations for the San Francisco, Calif.-based Wine Institute, told an audience this morning at the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium held at the South San Francisco Convention Center.

States opening to DtC wine shipments
Montana law transitioned to allow DtC wine shipments during 2013, Gross said. Registered wineries must get a $50 endorsement to ship wine into the state, and wineries already participating in the three-tier system are considered “registered.”

Montana consumers are allowed to receive 18 cases of wine per year, and wineries must inform the state if they are using a fulfillment house. “If you change fulfillment houses, you must notify the state,” Gross clarified.

A handful of Indian reservations in Montana are considered “dry” areas, and wine shipments to those areas will be blocked once the state provides those ZIP codes. Gross does not expect the exemption will affect many wine sales.
While “Montana opened with a good bill,” Gross said, “Arkansas opened with a bill that is going to be somewhat of a challenge.”

The wine-shipping law in Arkansas became effective Aug. 16, 2013, but the state did not supply Wine Institute with an application for DtC shipping until today. Gross said this application comes with a $25 permit fee and appears to be straightforward, although wineries will be required to get applications notarized.

One provision of the Arkansas law is that residents must be visiting the winery at the time of purchase (they cannot order from home), and wine can only be shipped to residences (no businesses). Excise and sales taxes are also required for shipments to the state.