|
- |
By KELLY HANNON
Virginia wine is flowing freely across the nation now, thanks to last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision that eliminated shipping barriers between states.
Despite this, there are wineries in the Fredericksburg area that have found the bureaucracy surrounding the shipping process too thick to conquer right now.
Hartwood Winery in Stafford and Oak Crest Vineyard & Winery in King George report excellent on-site sales, and are not shipping wine anywhere, in-state or out.
"Right now, we've been selling out from the winery itself," said Dorothy Brandts, co-owner of Oak Crest Winery, located near State Route 218. "We wanted to let all the dust settle" before shipping, she said.
Hartwood Winery opted not to secure a license for shipping, a requirement in Virginia.
The process is so complicated, it would be "the same thing as starting a new winery," said Dave Barber, a wine educator at Hartwood Winery near U.S. 17.
Neither winery reported an abundance of calls from outside Virginia to ship wine. Most requests stem from travelers passing through who'd like a bottle or two mailed home, Barber said.
A larger winery near Culpeper, Prince Michel de Virginia, does ship extensively. Out-of-state shipping to individuals now accounts for 2 percent to 3 percent of its business, said Brad Hansen, winemaker at Prince Michel.
People often stop at its wine shop along U.S. 29 and want to take a case or two home, but don't have room to spare in their car, he said. So Prince Michel sends it to their destination.
Its also has descriptions of each wine posted on its Web site so that callers can browse before ordering.
Interstate shipping has been good for all wineries, Hansen said.
"It's good for our industry that more people are enjoying wine, that they're becoming more knowledgeable. The more people that are enjoying and drinking wine, the better for local wineries," he said.
The Supreme Court ruled in May that New York and Michigan could not restrict out-of-state wineries from shipping wine to in-state residents, since they allowed in-state wineries to ship to residents.
States are still allowed to ban anyone from shipping wine anywhere--in-state or out-of-state. Despite this, the Supreme Court's decision cheered vintners who'd run into roadblocks trying to sell bottles to devoted customers.
The new freedom comes as wine consumption is rising. Per capita wine intake was 2.2 gallons in 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture--the second highest rate ever. The highest consumption rate was 2.4 gallons in 1985, due in part to a boom in wine cooler sales.
Virginia wineries aren't alone in their reluctance to ship wine.
Napa vintner Dennis Cakebread in California is finally sending out cases of wine to thirsty New York state customers, seven long months after the Supreme Court ruling paved the way for the shipments.
"What we've learned about this is patience and persistence," said Cakebread. "These lawsuits aren't like an episode of 'L.A. Law'--after one hour you win your case and you're off and running."
Change hasn't been swift in an industry that sometimes seems as rich in red tape as it is red grapes.
"We're in a highly regulated industry. This isn't like selling sweaters," said Jeremy Benson, executive director of Free The Grapes, a Napa-based group that has been working to loosen shipping restrictions. "The regulations are there, and we have to work through them."
The future in shipping could be abundant for Hartwood and Oak Crest wineries, if the process grows simpler.
"We're discussing the possibility for the future as our production grows," Brandts said.
The Associated Press and staff librarian Craig Schulin contributed to this story.
To reach KELLY HANNON:
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com
