Wine Merchants Want Freedom to Mail You a Bottle
Some wine retailers are pressing Maryland’s General Assembly to legalize direct shipments of wine, rather than requiring purchases to go through a distributor.
Cherry Hill Liquors in Elkton specializes in local Maryland wines. But owner Greg Birney isn’t allowed to sell and ship those wines to restaurants or individual buyers. He says large distributors don’t care about local wineries.
Baltimore Del. Carolyn Krysiak says the law is a roadblock for the state’s wine industry. She plans to introduce a bill next year to change the law.
Maryland is one of only three states where direct shipping of wine is a felony, along with Utah and Kentucky. Advocates say 37 states allow the practice.
Opponents say allowing direct shipments would threaten jobs at distribution centers.
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