Massachusetts is often criticized for its puritanical views towards alcohol. Bars close too early for our liking, liquor licenses are often difficult to finagle, and it’s against the law to ship or receive booze out of state. But state Representative Ted Speliotis, a Democrat of suburban Danvers, is hoping to change the mind of his Beacon Hill cohorts with a bill that would make shipping and receiving wine across the Massachusetts border permissible by law.
Though the law would limit shipments to just wine, it’s a move in the right direction for the Bay State. According to Speliotis’s proposed measure, those looking to transfer wine must first obtain a license for the reasonable annual fee of $100 per every winery they own assuming – they’re already in possession of a federal basic permit to solicit their vintage.
There are restrictions, though, to the amount of vino one can haul. On a yearly basis, Massachusetts oenophiles are limited to 24 cases at “9 liters each case.” Nine liters is equivalent to the standard 12 bottles per case at 750ml apiece, rendering a total of 288 bottles every year. Not too shabby.
According to CBS Boston earlier this week, the Joint Committee On Consumer And Professional Licensure entertained testimony from business owners and consumers alike as to why the law would be for the benefit of the Commonwealth. Even former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe appeared before the legislature back in March to voice his support for the measure. Bledsoe owns a winery in the state of Washington.
BostInno reached out to Representative Speliotis but have yet to hear back.
The usual tax rates would apply for those selling the wine, though there could be some extra paperwork involved. Vendors may have to report “the total number of gallons of wine shipped into the commonwealth for the preceding year” to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission as well as the department of revenue, though, as is the pattern for most of the legwork involved, only on an annual basis.
But for those weighing whether to throw any support behind the resolution, consider that these provisions won’t come without great cost for those who violate them. The first offense in selling to a person under the age of 21 will result in a loss of licensure for six days or a $200 fine. A second offense ups the ante to a 20 day license loss or $500 fine.
But the consequence for a third violation, in the same calendar year as the previous, means the “prohibition of the winery from making any direct shipment of wine under this section, by a fine of up to $1,000, or both.” Full compliance of these may allow for the winery to reapply for their license after a year of suspension.
