Maine Event, At Last
June 13th, 2009
By R. Corbin Houchins, Beverage Industry Counsel
After years of trying, wine commerce proponents succeeded in adding Maine to the list of license states for direct shipment. Governor Baldacci signed HP 696/LD 1008 on June 12th.
After the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement adopts regulations and licensing procedures, the law will permit out-of-state and Maine farm wineries alike to ship wine (but not wine coolers!) directly to consumers by common carrier, subject to the same taxes as if sold locally. Meanwhile, the on-site provisions summarized in previous releases of Notes on Wine Distribution appear to remain available.
by R. Corbin Houchins, CorbinCounsel.com
