Proprietor’s Blog 1/11 – The Do’s and Don’t’s of Shipping Wine

There are a lot of confusing laws, restrictions, and regulations in place for wine shipping. It’s not like ordering a t-shirt online or getting something from Amazon. People forget that wine is actually a controlled substance. Wine has been an important part of human society for decades; it’s been decriminalized for so long people forget it still has a lot of regulation.

This regulation changes depending upon where you reside. It changes from country to country and city to city. There are still dry counties in the US and there are still states that don’t sell alcohol on Sundays. Being in California, that seems so bizarre since it’s a huge crop out here. Nonetheless, there are important regulations that people often forget. But don’t worry, I’m here to help!

The biggest one we often find people forgetting is that when wine is shipped, someone 21 or over needs to be there for the delivery. This is for two reasons:

1. If you order wine, online or not, in the United States you must be 21 to purchase it. So, just like the cashier or bartender, the delivery person needs to see your ID. They are checking if you are the name on the box and if you are 21.
2. You don’t want someone to leave your wine on your doorstep…or at least you shouldn’t want them to! Wine is fragile and sensitive to temperature. If it’s too cold it can damage the wine, and if it’s too hot it can damage the wine. This is also the reason why shipping during finicky weather (summer and winter) is not advised and often not done by wineries. Also, if your neighbors see you’ve got an AJA wine box, I bet they’re plotting how to take it ;).

The winery should provide you with tracking information so that you know when the wine is coming. If you are shipping to a business, delivery companies know to come between business hours. If you’re shipping to a residential location, the hours are more flexible. But make sure someone will be home, and if not, you can reschedule.

The next thing that’s difficult about wine shipping, is the cost. Because we’re so accustomed to free two-day shipping by the Amazons and Walmarts of the world, we forget that shipping is costly.

Unfortunately, with all these rules and regulations, come expenses. In order to protect the consumer and the producer, the signature of the adult is required, specific packaging for safe transport is required…oh and wine can get pretty heavy for a shipment. A single bottle shipment weighs 4lbs. These all incur additional charges.

In general, it costs around $14-20 to ship a single bottle of wine anywhere in the US. Here’s the breakdown of a single bottle:

$1.50-3.00 – Special approved shippers for single wine bottle.

$13.00-$18.00- postage.

How can this be fixed? Well, I believe there are shipping “loopholes.” It’s simple, the more wine you purchase, the less the shipping costs per bottle. The same $13-$18 postage range works for often times up to 3 bottles. Rather than spending $14 to ship one bottle, you’re paying $6 per bottle for 3. So, if you’re ever buying one, never just buy a single bottle, it’s not the best deal you can get.

I hope these pieces of insight help you when you next purchase wines. Watch our quick video on Instagram about this! You can purchase from our store today and like I said…get at least two bottles and make sure you’re home to receive it!

Cheers,
Amanda