US: N.J. Opens to Direct Wine Shipping
US: N.J. Opens to Direct Wine Shipping
Jan 17, 2012 6
(Wines&Vines) - This morning, Jan. 17, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation that finally resolves the issue of direct-to-consumer wine shipping New Jersey. The new law revises previous statutes that governed the sale and distribution of wine by New Jersey wineries and creates a new out-of-state winery license in New Jersey for wineries licensed in other states. Until today, New Jersey wineries were permitted to have satellite tasting rooms where customers could taste the wine and then make purchases, but state legislation denied that right to out-of-state wineries. No winery, in state or out-of-state, could ship wine directly to consumers in New Jersey. After out-of-state wineries sued, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the state of New Jersey was in violation of the Constitution’s Commerce Clause and was discriminating against out-of-state wineries by allowing only New Jersey wineries to have satellite tasting rooms.
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