Maine law now allows direct-to-consumer wine buying.
Recently the Maine legislature approved and Gov. John Baldacci signed bill LD 1008, permitting Maine residents to buy wine outside the state for shipment to their home address.
Maine Law LD 1008
A resident who is 21 years or older can receive up to 12 9-liter cases of wine per year following payment of a $100 registration fee and a license fee of no more than $200, which are then renewable each calender year for a total of $50. These wines are for personal use only and cannot be sold to a retailer or another consumer. A wine shipper wishing to do business in Maine must pay all relevant excise, sales and other taxes and submit quarterly reports to the Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages.
Carriers Allowed to Deliver Wine in Maine
FedEx and UPS are both allowed by law to deliver wine to Maine residential addresses. Which carrier will make the delivery depends on the retailer you buy from. The U.S. Postal Service is prohibited from delivering wine.
Online Wine Retailers
There are several online sources for buying wine out of state, but a winery or retailer must apply for a license to deliver wine to Maine and consequently many of the world's wines will not be available for shipment into the state. Before selecting wines from on online retailer or winery, check the states they deliver to. Two venues offering direct-to-Maine shipments are Appellation America and Wine Chateau. Appellation America specializes in wines made in the U.S., while Wine Chateau has choices from fine wine regions around the world.
Tags: Appellation America, deliver wine, deliver wine Maine, Wine Chateau, wine Maine