Texans have had an issue with their wine rights and that is allowing them to receive wines from out-of-state wine stores and Internet wine stores. Now HB 2991, introduced by Representative Matt Rinaldi, would allow Texans to receive wine shipments from out-of-state wine stores. Currently, Texans may receive wine shipments from Texas wineries, out-of-state wineries, and Texas wine stores, but out-of-state wine stores are barred from shipping into Texas. The result is that Texans have no access to thousands of wines that are easily available from retailers in other states. HB 2291 has been referred to the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee where a hearing has yet to be scheduled.
WineFreedom.org is currently providing information on legislation (HB 2291) that, if passed, would finally allow Texans to receive wine from out-of-state wine stores and Internet wine stores.
WineFreedom.org is supported by the National Wine Retailers Association, Texas wine consumers, and supporters of free trade in wine across the country. Users may read updates on legislation impacting their access to wine, contact key legislators, sign petitions, and sign up to receive alerts when new consumer action is needed to help support pro-consumer wine legislation.
“Whenever Texas legislation is proposed that impacts consumers, lawmakers rarely hear from, let alone invite, consumers to weigh in on a bill that directly impacts them,” said Tom Wark, executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers. “We receive calls and emails constantly from consumers asking why they can’t have wine shipped to them in Texas and what they can do, and WineFreedom.org answers those questions.”
The Federal government has approved more than 212,000 wines for sale in the United States in the last two years. However, in that same time period the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC) has only approved 28,000 wine for sale in the state, leaving Texans without access to most of these 212,000 wines and more that are available in wine retail shows in other states.
Check the WineFreedom.org website for more information and how you can support HB 2991.
Great resourceful article. It is the same in Alabama, sadly. I have friends in California wine country, and I can’t purchase from them unless they ship it to someone else in another state. It’s ridiculous.
Hopefully things will change.
What would also be tremendously beneficial to the Texas Wine Industry is to expand wineries ability to ship OUT of state. When we were in Virginia, in order for a Texas Winery to ship there, that winery had to fill out a mountain of paperwork at great expense. The Texas Wine Industry will continue to lag behind CA, WA, OR, NY, etc… as long as the State makes it hard and expensive for wineries to ship out of state.
Unfortunately I do not know about the process for shipping wine out of state. I thought I heard a winery owner say they just needed to pay for more permits to the other states, but I do not know the process.