Wine Shipping in Maryland
Due to the annoying laws regarding interstate shipping, I am prevented from ordering wine and spirits and having them shipped to my residence in Maryland. A court ruling last year removed this obstacle in some states, by requiring states that allowed for exports of wine and spirits also had to allow for the import of the same. This meant that New York state, which has quite the burgeoning winemaking operation, to correct their law, but Maryland's paucity of vineyards and wineries mean that we're still stymied by these rules.
Which is to say that I really could use a good friend in the District, which doesn't prevent these shipments.
Hi, maybe you can help me out. I'm trying to find out what Maryland/ DC's wine import laws are. I'm a producer in California and would like to break into the market there. Does Maryland control the purchase and distribution of imported wine?
Thanks.
Erich
According to "Free the Grapes," an advocacy group for removing barriers to interstate wine shipments, the current status for Maryland as of October 2007 is "You may order wines that have not been available in Maryland during the past two years from an out-of-state winery provided they [the out-of-state winery] have taken out a seller's permit and you [the Maryland resident] have arranged for a Maryland wholesaler to facilitate the transaction." I assume those wholesalers have been quite forthcoming with their campaign contributions to maintain their unnecessary presence in this little equation.