There’s no doubt that shipping wine across the country is not only a fragile endeavor but there are laws that need to be upheld. It’s important to know the shipping requirements for wine clubs before you sign up for one so that you aren’t caught having shipments being returned.
Every State has Different Alcohol Laws
Depending on where you live in the United States, you may not even be eligible for the opportunity to sign up for a wine club subscription. There are only 14 states that will allow for the direct shipment of wine to an individual.
Along with the District of Columbia, Alaska, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming all allow for the shipment of wine to individuals. If you live in these states, you can subscribe to a wine club of your choice.
If you don’t live in these states, however, unfortunately you cannot get wine shipped to you.
Shipping Wine is Expensive
For many of us, we won’t order anything from the internet unless we get free shipping. But good luck finding a wine club that doesn’t charge for shipping. It’s just too expensive to not charge their customers something.
So, if you are trying to understand why you can’t find a wine club with free shipping this is why. A box of wine weighs anything from 40-50 pounds and the amount of packing material you need to keep the glass from breaking during transportation adds to the weight. Shipping is charged based on how much your package weighs. Shipping wine is expensive.
Even with the discount that most wine clubs have with FedEx of UPS it still can cost a pretty penny. If you do find a wine club with free shipping, more than likely, they add a dollar per bottle to the price of the wine itself to cover some of the shipping cost.
Age Verification Requirements
We all know that you have to be 21 or older to drink wine so it only makes sense that companies could only ship to individuals who are 21 or older. But how can they make sure that you are who you say you are when they are shipping across the country?
When wine is shipped, you will be notified of the approximate arrival time so that you can receive it in person. It cannot be left on a doorstep or back porch. The delivery service will require that a person is there to receive the box and that they have ID verifying that they are indeed 21 or older.
What if you can’t be home for the delivery because you work? Well, in this case it would be wise to have the wine delivered to your place of work. This will ensure that you can present your ID and not miss your shipment or be charged for a return shipment due to no one being available for age verification.
Weather Can Affect Your Wine
If you live in a place with extreme weather, hot or cold, sometimes it would be best not to get your wine shipped to your home during the extreme weather months. Some wine clubs are already aware of this and will wait to send your wine. Other wine clubs might not care but you need to be conscious of this fact.
You don’t want to pay for wine that will be ruined by the time it gets to your door, so wait until the weather is more tepid.