Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

After reading the latest '89 Lynch post and seeing the K&L references I'm curious as to how you all receive your wines from them. They won't ship to MN and haven't for many years, and their website states that they will only ship to the 10 states (and District of Columbia) that legally allow direct shipment of wines from an out of state retailer. Most all of those states are in the West -- Alaska, Calif, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, NDakota, Wyoming, Oregon. The only legal state west of the Mississippi is New Hampshire.

I've tried to order K&L wines and sign up for auctions, but no soap. What am I missing?

--Gary Rust

Gary, they don't ship to Maine either but I've been able to rely on a BWEer to pick up my successful '89 Lynch auction purchases and he has held them for me until I see him at BWE conventions. Long live BWE.

Call them, Gary. They can arrange shipping to some states that are not on the list of states to which they can ship directly.

They shipped to me last year by using a third party shipper. I don’t remember who it was but it took about 2 weeks. Once it arrived in-state UPS picked it up and forwarded it to me by 2 day air. A bit problematic because I didn’t know when I would get it until UPS picked it up. But everything arrived in good condition.

Stu

That's exactly the way JJ Buckley ships to me in Maine.
I wasn't aware that K&L offered that as well.

sdr wrote:They shipped to me last year by using a third party shipper. I don’t remember who it was but it took about 2 weeks. Once it arrived in-state UPS picked it up and forwarded it to me by 2 day air. A bit problematic because I didn’t know when I would get it until UPS picked it up. But everything arrived in good condition.

This for me too. Was shipped 3rd party in a temperature-controlled truck from CA, but was given to UPS Ground in Dallas to then to take Colorado in 90+ temps! After determining this was a risk (as it happened to everyone who got K&L stuff shipped to Colorado), I only ship with K&L in when its cool(er) in Texas (meaning I have to wait until Dec. unusually).

I've heard they only offer this 3rd party arrangement to long-standing customers-- newbies to K&L in non-ship states have been turned away. I suggest calling as well and giving it a try.

I don’t understand how these mysterious never-named third party shippers are able to transport wine across state borders when no one else can. What is so special about them? Who are they?

Stu

Maybe we don't want to know who they are. Actually, I am curious too. I get emails from an east coast shop that says that they can arrange to get wines to you; they just ask for your patience in receiving the wines. That does not instill a great deal of confidence on my part.

There are a number of storage and shipping businesses in California that send to people in non-ship states. I recall a number of names of places I had to have accounts with to be able to get winery purchases shipped to MD before the state allowed wineries to ship direct to consumer. I don’t know if they worked for retail purchases. I only used them for direct winery purchases.

I never really understood how it worked. My assumption is that these places insulate the winery from the risk of being charged with a crime by another state and losing their CA license (bond?) to make wine, putting them out of business. Or their license to sell in the case of a retail shop. I would think the storage/shipping companies need a license to store and ship alcohol that would be at risk if they broke the law. Maybe the licensing requirements or enforcement isn’t as stringent as for winery and retail shop licenses, so they are willing to take the risk. Seems an untenable business model. Or maybe it’s legal to ship to yourself once you’ve taken possession of the wine in CA. But this is all speculation on my part.

I think its the latter part - legal in some way once you already have possession of the wine.

There are a few different shippers in Napa that seem to ship anywhere. So tourists doing tastings can buy wines from various wineries and consolidate them for shipment instead of checking them as baggage. I don’t know how they get around the laws but they have been in business for decades (I recall using them over 20 years ago and last year too).
Michael-P

WIneries have a federal law from the Bush II era allowing them to ship anywhere. Retailers do not.

Tom In DC wrote:WIneries have a federal law from the Bush II era allowing them to ship anywhere. Retailers do not.

Yes, but I think only if the purchaser is physically present to buy? There are still some states where you can't ship wine direct from winery to consumer if ordered online.

I think that's true, David. One wonders how any Screaming Eagle, Marcassin, etc. has ever been shipped.