—SB 1050 Allows Wine Shipments from Out-of-State Wine Stores and Internet Retailers—
(Hartford, CT)—With the introduction of SB 1050, Connecticut wine lovers are on the verge having access to hundreds of thousands of wines not currently available in the state. Senate Bill 1050, set for a hearing in the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on April 17,would allow Connecticut consumers to receive shipments of wine from out-of-state wine stores, internet retailers and wine-of-the-month clubs.
Under current law, Connecticut consumers are walled off from the expansive selection of wine sold in the United States by being banned from receiving shipments from out-of-state wine stores and Internet retailers. SB 1050 would allow these shipments under conditions identical to which out-of-state wineries may currently ship to Connecticut consumers, including remittance of sales tax to the state and the requirement to receive an adult signature at the time of delivery.
“Every day our members and specialty wine retailers across the country receive calls and emails from Connecticut consumers seeking specific wines they can’t find at local retailers,” said Tom Wark, executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers. “With this bill both Connecticut consumers and the state benefit from a more open market that remains fully regulated.”
Under the provisions of SB 1050 out-of-state wine retailers would be required to adhere to the following regulations:
-Ship no more than 5 gallons of wine to any individual in a two-month period
-Collect and remit all required sales and alcohol taxes to the state on each sale
-Report all sales and deliveries made to consumers in the state.
-Obtain a signature of an adult for each delivery of wine
“A well regulated free market in wine sales in Connecticut benefits consumers and the state without disrupting the long-standing regulatory structure of the state,” noted Wark. “Passage of SB 1050 would modernize the Connecticut wine market and set aside the current protectionist and discriminatory laws currently governing consumer access to wine in the state.”
About the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR)
NAWR is a national association of wine stores, Internet wine retailers, wine auction houses and wine-of-the-month clubs. NAWR advocates for well-regulated free markets across the country. For more information about NAWR see https://nawr.org.
# # #
CONTACT:
Tom Wark, Executive Director
National Association of Wine Retailers
707-266-1449 • [email protected]