Alcoholic beverages, boy, do Americans love them! Despite their overwhelming popularity, you might find that shipping and receiving alcohol can be a bit of a challenge. That's because several different shipping and delivery laws dictate how a shipment of alcohol can be sent across the country. Because the rules for shipping alcohol are pretty comprehensive, we are dedicating this blog to answering your most pertinent questions if you are looking to ship wine out to your friends.
Can Alcohol Be Shipped?
It is technically legal to mail alcohol in the United States. However, as you may have already learned in your 21 plus years of living, that does not mean shipping alcohol is easy. Unfortunately, the only people who can legally ship alcohol are those retailers and e-commerce companies that are licensed to sell alcohol. It is quite hard to get the postal service, Fedex or the USPS to get shipments of beer out.
Additionally, alcohol shipping laws are incredibly confusing because every state has its own set of rules and local laws. Nonetheless, the general guidelines mentioned are pretty standard: the shipper must be licensed, and the destination state they are shipping to must allow people to receive alcohol legally. Those are the two most crucial alcohol shipping laws.
Is It Legal to Get Wine Delivered to My House?
For the most part, you can get alcohol delivered directly to your home, assuming you have the money to pay for it! Of course, a few states are a few party poopers when it comes to shipping wine and alcohol through their state laws. Unfortunately, if you live in Alabama, Oklahoma, or Utah, you're going to have to go to the liquor store on-site instead of having the enchanting alcohol fairy come and deliver wine shipments directly to you.
Some people have claimed that they've successfully purchased alcohol online, but it is illegal to do so, and frankly, Bev doesn't condone illegal acts. If you live in Mississippi, it's a gray area. That is, alcohol delivery services are not legal but also not necessarily illegal, so we suggest you proceed with caution when importing or shipping beer inside the state.
In almost all other states, wine delivery is a-okay assuming you can prove that you're 21 years old or older and fill out the space that says, "adult signature required." Plus, depending on your state, such as Kentucky, beer and spirits may also be able to be delivered through distributors.
What Do I Need to Get Wine Delivered?
A Valid ID
Like buying alcohol in-store, you must prove to the delivery person that you are of legal drinking age. To do so, you must have a valid ID or be a licensee to indicate you are 21 years or older so that the licensed shipper can legally deliver your drinks.
A Delivery App
Looking for instant gratification? There are some apps out there that can deliver wine within an hour or two after you place your order. Two apps that come to mind are MiniBar and Drizly. Depending on where you live, these apps may or may not be available. Additionally, grocery shopping apps and food delivery apps also have alcohol shipping agreement options.
What Are the Most Popular Wines to Get Delivered?
Pinot Grigio
The zesty, refreshing drink choice of people everywhere! And for excellent reasons: it's light, crisp, and dry. Pinot Grigio is appreciated for its fruit flavors like lime, pear, honeysuckle, and green apple and can have a faint honey note. Due to its high acidity, Pinot Grigio is often less sweet than Chardonnay.
Chardonnay
Describing Chardonnay isn't super easy as its flavors are complex. Typically, Chardonnay is a medium to full-bodied wine that's dry. When aged in oak barrels, people are known to point out hints of vanilla.
As we said, if you've ever heard someone refer to a wine they're drinking as buttery, there's a perfect chance that it was a chardonnay. There is a reason. Chardonnay can smell and taste like butter. The chemical that gives butter its flavor is diacetyl. Winemakers use a technique called 'malolactic fermentation,' and diacetyl is a natural byproduct. So people are not crazy when they note the buttery taste and sensation.
Climate affects the fruit flavors a chardonnay will have. Warmer regions, such as California (hey, Napa Valley!) and New Zealand tend to create more tropical fruit styles. Temperate wine regions, like southern Burgundy and New York, are commonly associated with stone fruit notes. Wines from warm climates and temperate areas are typically less acidic, fuller-bodied, and have higher alcohol. The Chardonnay vineyards in cooler temperatures, such as in Champagne, typically have green-apple aromas due to the malic acid. Cool climate chardonnay typically is more acidic and has mineral character.
Pinot Noir
While red wine is the healthiest wine you can drink, Pinot Noir happens to be the healthiest wine. Pinot Noir has the highest resveratrol concentration of any other red wine. Besides having the highest resveratrol levels, Pinot Noir also has lower sugar and calories than other wines. Although nearly all red wines contain no residual sugar, Pinot Noir has even less because it has a lower initial sugar level before fermentation. Therefore, Pinot Noir has fewer calories and lower alcohol content than other red wines. Typically, Pinot Noir is dry, light- to medium-bodied, with bright acidity, silky tannins, and alcohol that ranges between 12–15%. It has complex flavors like cherry, raspberry, mushroom, and forest floor.
Rosé
Rose wines can be either sweet or dry, but usually, they are more on the dry end of the taste spectrum. The primary flavors in rosé are red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, complete with a pleasant green taste. Bev offers a crisp and dry rosé with aromatics of fresh strawberry and raspberry, paired with a crisp white peach finish. In general, rosé has a similar flavor profile of light red wine but is brighter and crisper both in its soft pink color and fruity taste. This is why you’re more apt to pop open a can of rosé in the summer, think picnics and barbeques.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most planted grape in the world, Cabernet Sauvignon, is a reliable and sophisticated red to order at any meal. Cabernet is full-bodied and filled with dark fruit flavors like black currant and savory tastes like bell pepper and black pepper. It generally comes from France, and Bordeaux in particular.
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