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The threat of underage drinking and overconsumption of alcohol are among the reasons cited by backers of a bill in Congress that would ban direct shipments of wine to consumers. Skeptics said the real reason for the measure is that alcohol distributors want to protect a lucrative part of their business.
Currently, 38 states allow at least some wine to be shipped directly to consumers. Wineries have supported such legislation at the state level. „This is an anti-consumer bill,“ said Marty Clubb, owner of the L’Ecole No. 41 winery in Lowden, Wash. „This is about wholesalers trying to entrench their monopoly.“ (Source: Join Together, 5/19/10)

Massachusetts consumers may soon be able to order wine online and have it shipped directly from out-of-state wineries after the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the state’s latest attempt to control such shipments.
The Associated Press reported Jan. 15 that the court ruled that a 2006 law that forced larger winemakers to choose between selling through retailers or getting a license to ship directly to consumers was a violation of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The law was carefully crafted to exempt wineries located within Massachusetts from the requirement by making it applicable only to companies that produce 30,000 gallons of wine or more per year.(Source: Join Together, 1/19/10)