Proprietor’s Blog 1/11 The Do’s and Don’ts 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. It’s been a part of human society for so long, and decriminalized for so long, that people forget it still carries a lot of regulation.
That regulation changes depending on where you live: country to country, city to city. There are still dry counties in the US, and states that don’t sell alcohol on Sundays. Being in California, that feels bizarre since wine is such a huge crop out here. Still, there are important rules people often forget, and I’m here to help.
The biggest one people forget is that when wine is shipped, someone 21 or over needs to be there for the delivery, for two reasons. First, if you order wine online or otherwise in the United States, you have to be 21 to purchase it, so just like a cashier or bartender, the delivery person needs to check ID to confirm you’re the name on the box and that you’re 21. Second, you don’t want wine left on your doorstep. It’s fragile and sensitive to temperature: too cold or too hot and it can damage the wine, which is also why shipping during summer or winter is generally not advised and often avoided by wineries.
The winery should give you tracking information so you know when the wine is coming. Deliveries to a business arrive during business hours; deliveries to a home have more flexible hours, but make sure someone will be there, and reschedule if not.
The next tricky part of wine shipping is the cost. We’re so used to free two-day shipping from Amazon and Walmart that we forget shipping is genuinely costly. To protect both the consumer and the producer, an adult’s signature is required, specific packaging is required for safe transport, and wine is heavy, a single bottle shipment weighs about four pounds. All of that adds up.
In general, it costs around $14 to $20 to ship a single bottle of wine anywhere in the US: roughly $1.50 to $3.00 for approved shippers, and $13 to $18 for postage.
How do you get around this? Buy more wine. The same $13 to $18 postage range often covers up to three bottles, bringing the per-bottle cost down to around $6. So if you’re ever buying wine to ship, don’t just buy a single bottle, it’s not the best deal you can get.
I hope these tips help the next time you order wine. Watch our quick Instagram video on 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