Michigan House votes to approve direct wine shipments

Modern Brewery Age, Dec 12, 2005

AP--Michigan residents soon will be able to have their favorite California red or Oregon white shipped directly to their homes. The state House on Tuesday voted 104-0 to approve legislation that would allow in-state and out-of-state wineries to ship up to 1,500 cases of wine a year directly to consumers. Direct shipment had been banned under a state law ruled unconstitutional earlier this year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The bill now goes to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is expected to sign it.

Supporters of the legislation have emphasized that it would allow Michigan residents to get hard-to-fine wines from vintners in high wine-producing states such as California, Oregon and Washington.

The House also voted 103-1 to approve a bill that wold create a $100 state license required for wineries to ship wine straight to consumers. Rep. Leon Drolet, a Republican from Macomb County's Clinton Township, was the only vote against the bill that would require shippers to pay the new taxes to the state.

The bills would allow Michigan wineries to be their own wholesaler to distribute to restaurants and retailers, but out-of-state vintners must continue to use a wholesaler.

If the law is signed and later declared unconstitutional because it treats in-state wineries different from those in other states, as the previous law, all vintners would have to use a wholesaler to distribute their wine to restaurants and retailers.

Direct shipment to consumers by in-state and out-of-state wineries could continue if the law is declared unconstitutional, according to the legislation.

"I would have preferred to treat everybody the same, but this is a compromise and this is the best solution we could come up with," said Rep. Chris Ward, a Brighton Republican who sponsored one of the bills. "If it stands, that's great. If it doesn't stand then we'll have an opportunity to address it legislatively."