For those of you lucky enough to get California wine shipped directly to your drunken doorstep, we have some bad news. At least we think it’s bad.
The wine world is buzzing about a change in Ohio state law—slipped into a budget bill this summer—that appears to prevent some large, out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to customers.
A co-worker of mine was dismayed to receive the following ominous email from Domaine Chandon, which ships her bubbly from Yountville, CA.
“On June 30th, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed the fiscal year 2008-09 budget bill. In an unusual move, wine shipping provisions were inserted into the state budget bill. The law changes Ohio’s open status for shipping wines to a limited direct permit shipping state. Unfortunately, the changes in the law prevent Domaine Chandon and many other wineries from shipping directly to our customers. This law is scheduled to take effect October 1, 2007.”
A quick search of the wine aficionado sites reveals that the law did, indeed, change. It’s just not clear exactly how it affects all wineries. But it does look like big ones—those who produce more than 150,000 gallons a year—are not allowed to get shipping permits.
Right or wrong, some out-of-state wineries are already pulling the plug on shipments. So load up on that Napa Valley Pinot while you can. — Lisa Rab

This article appears in Sep 19-25, 2007.

8 replies on “You Will Not Drink Any F*$king Merlot! Ohio slyly changes wine-shipping law”

  1. check it out…150,000 gallons is aproximately 750,000 bottles which is atound 62,500 cases which is the maximum production an out of state winery can produce in order to qualify for a direct sales permit. How many premium wineries in California would qualify under this statute? Not many. So, if you in Ohio would give me an email address, I will be happy to let you know how these fine wines taste…or you can go to freethegrapes.org and find out what you can do to convince your legislature that this is a bad law.

  2. Ohio allows an unlimited number of licensed distributors to buy wine from CA wineries, big and small, at 50% off CA suggested bottle price, then they resell to restaurants and retailers at a large profit – the legislative influence by all of these channels is powerful and exclusionary.
    Without the freedom of direct shipping, the consumer’s choice of wine is limited by the selection of these distributors – its all about profit margin – as usual.

  3. Napa Valley Pinot? Is there such a thing? I had NO IDEA that Napa Valley was known for its PINOT? Carneros, maybe. 62,500 cases means that the winery is big enough to have a distributor that actually WANTS to sell their wine. So many Oregon wineries are way below 20,000 cases. All of the requirements to ship just don’t work for the little guys, like below that. So if an Oregon winery ships to Ohio 5 cases a year total big deal. The winery should not have to pay for anything. This is a minute amount, below radar. Who can enforce that? Get real and the little guys will thank you.
    Domaine Chandon is HUGE. They should be crying about this in Ohio. I bet they have a big distributor there that is very happy.

  4. Napa Valley Pinot? Is there such a thing? I had NO IDEA that Napa Valley was known for its PINOT? Carneros, maybe. 62,500 cases means that the winery is big enough to have a distributor that actually WANTS to sell their wine. So many Oregon wineries are way below 20,000 cases. All of the requirements to ship just don’t work for the little guys, like below that. So if an Oregon winery ships to Ohio 5 cases a year total big deal. The winery should not have to pay for anything. This is a minute amount, below radar. Who can enforce that? Get real and the little guys will thank you.
    Domaine Chandon is HUGE. They should be crying about this in Ohio. I bet they have a big distributor there that is very happy.

  6. Just to clarify, Carneros is in both Napa and Sonoma Valleys – it straddles the AVA line- and it is a great place for Pinot. Etude, anyone? Napa Valley produces 4% of California’s total wine production. This law hurts all wineries- big or not, and Consumers, it’s unfair you cannot have the same rights as other citzens in neighboring states. Just becasue a Winery is “big” doesn’t mean that all their wine is readily distributed, I work at a fantastic one hee in Napa Valley and some of our wine is not distributed at all or under 1000 cases total so not a lot of distro there.

  7. Ohio is a poor state, anyone in office is put there by someone with money.
    Sense all the jobs have moved to China, those left behind drink a lot. We would like to drink 2 buck chuck, which after being distributed by our distributors is 4 buck chuck.
    Sense I will no longer be able to order my 2 buck chuck direct, I will drive out of state, while there, I can also gamble and smoke, two other freedoms not allowed in Ohio.
    Hopefully the state police won’t stop me and arrest me on my return trip.

  8. Just one more reason why Ohio is the armpit of America. I can’t understand why people choose to remain in that state and call it home.

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