(Wines&Vines) - With Massachusetts, the nation’s seventh largest market for wine, open for direct shipping, 90% of the American population located in 42 states can with some limitations receive direct shipments of wine from bonded wineries.

ShipCompliant estimates that outside wineries will ship $73 million in wine to The Bay State by 2018, rising to nearly $105 million by 2023.

The only large market remaining is Pennsylvania, home to 4.5% of the U.S. population. Steve J. Gross, vice president-state relations for the Wine Institute, spoke Jan. 15 at the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium in Concord, Calif., and is optimistic about moving bills to open Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Delaware this spring.  The Wine Institute, Free the Grapes! and other organizations affected also are working on bills to correct problems with laws in Indiana and other states.

The Wine Institute, Free the Grapes! and other organizations affected also are working on bills to correct problems with laws in Indiana and other states. Gross’ other priorities this year are to:

• Continue to try and open new states and protect existing states.

• Continue to “improve” existing shipping laws.

• Remove on-site and capacity caps.

• Remove onerous paperwork requirements.

• Simplify reporting and frequency of reports.

• Streamline permitting and registration procedures.

• Work with carriers and states to ensure reporting procedures work.

At present, all direct shipments of wine are prohibited to Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Utah, while shipments are only allowed for orders placed in person at wineries to Arkansas, Delaware, Oklahoma, Rhone Island and South Dakota. 

Most states still prohibit shipments from retailers and others that don’t have winery licenses, including so-called “virtual” wineries in California that actually have wholesaler’s licenses and buy from bonded wineries. Twenty of the 42 states that allow direct shipping now require licenses for carriers.

Gross admits that DtC laws in some states such as Utah will probably be impossible to change.

He warned, however, that states are paying closer attention to carrier reporting requirements and requiring common carriers to file reports. “More emphasis is being put on reviewing these reports,” he said.