Effective July 1st, wineries that sell wine via the Internet will be able to ship to consumers in Kansas as a result of legislation passed April 20th. The state’s Liquor Control Act, or Senate Bill 212, was signed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Monday. It allows wineries, whether based in Kansas or out of state, to ship up to 12 standard cases of wine to any single consumer per calendar year. Each winery must pay $50 for a special order shipping license to participate. Wineries will also be required to use a system to verify that recipients of direct wine shipments are at least 21 years old.
The new law also permits the sale of wine at farmers markets and expands alcohol sales at outdoor festivals, pending authorization by local officials. The law replaces the “special order” provision that required wine shipments to be made through a Kansas retailer.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on direct shipping in May 2005, winery-to-consumer shipping has become legal in 36 states, which collectively represent more than 81% of wine consumption in the U.S. (source: Adams Wine Handbook 2007). Free the Grapes! is a national consumer-winery grassroots coalition of more than 300,000 members and supports legal, regulated direct-to-consumer wine shipments.