If you’re a resident of Georgia and a wine aficionado, you’ll be happy to know that you can legally ship your favorite Californian Cabernet or Oregon Pinot Noir to your doorstep. As of May 2008, Georgia officially became a direct-ship state, allowing as many as 12 cases of wine to be shipped between two states per year. It’s good news for Georgia wineries as well, because now they can ship their wine to residents of other direct-ship states to enjoy.
Georgia Direct Ship Requirements
Check to see if the vineyard or winery you’re purchasing wine from has registered their brand with the state of Georgia. Their brand must be registered with the state before they’re permitted to ship wine to you. Once registered, the vineyard or winery is issued a Special Order Shipment Permit. You may need to contact the vineyard or winery directly to obtain this information.
Determine how many bottles of wine you want to purchase. Remember that you’re limited to just 12 cases per household per year for off-site sales that require direct shipment.
Provide proof that you’re over the legal age of 21 to the vineyard or winery. This can be done by providing verification with a government issued ID if you’re on-site at the vineyard, or through an age verification service that uses your credit card to validate your age if the purchase is done online or over the phone.
Pay for the wine. The cost of the wine may include additional charges, such as state and local taxes and excise tax--which must be collected at the time of sale--in addition to possible shipping charges and a permit surcharge fee. These are charges imposed by the state on the vineyard, but in all likelihood are passed to the consumer.
Ensure that the required label "Alcoholic Beverages" is properly affixed to your shipment of wine to guarantee it arrives without issue.
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Writer Bio
Christie Gross has been writing since 1998. Her work writing public policy platforms for elected officials nationwide has been featured in national and local newspapers under various client pen names. Gross has a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science, as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Delaware.