Wine merchants want freedom to mail you a bottle

An advocacy group that is trying to convince Maryland's General Assembly to allow direct shipments by the state's wine retailers has the support of local liquor store owners.

Greg Birney, the owner of Cherry Hill Liquors off of Singerly Road, and Robert Murray, one of the owners of State Line Liquors on Maryland 279 near the state line, both said they're behind the current effort to legalize direct shipments that's being spearheaded by Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws.

"As a store owner that specializes in Maryland produced wines, I understand the problems facing the survival and growth of our state's wine industry," Birney said. "The distributor side of (Maryland's) three-tier system does not care about our local wineries and small businesses."

The three-tiered system mention by Birney is set in place by Maryland's current liquor laws, which require restaurants and alcohol retailers to purchase their liquor exclusively from a distributor, who in turn must purchase their inventory from manufacturers.

Several efforts to legalize direct shipments of alcohol in Maryland have been defeated, many over the last 25 years, as the result of strong opposition from wholesale distributors in Maryland, which is only one of three states in the country where direct shipping of wine is a felony. The other two states are Utah and Kentucky.

Advocates for direct shipment say the current law infringes on consumers freedom of choice, because many types of wines are not be carried by distributors, which typically offer only the most popular products and exclude small, niche wineries.

Delegate Carolyn Krysiak, a Baltimore Democrat and member of the state House Economic Matters Committee, said she plans to introduce a bill in the 2010 legislative session that would legalize direct shipments by wine retailers.

"We encouraged wineries to take a risk and start their businesses and now we're throwing roadblocks in front of them," Krysiak said. "I feel some sense of obligation to people who took this gamble in our state."

Opponents, however, argue that a direct shipment law would threaten jobs at distribution centers.

Krysiak said the 37 states that already allow the practice haven't lost jobs.

"I think the fears are unfounded, most restaurants and liquor stores will still order through the distributor," she said. "The distributors provide a marvelous convenience for businesses that sell alcohol."

Birney agreed.

"Most big wineries will sell through distributors because they won't want to take the time to deal with small orders," he said.

Birney said the ban on direct shipments by retailers has cost him sales in the past.

He related a story in which a Massachusetts resident sought to have a bottle of wine shipped to her home.

"I could not do it and e-mailed her to explain the Maryland law," he said, adding that the woman responded, "'You can get a gun easier than a bottle of merlot."