DELAWARE APPEARS CLOSE TO LEGALIZING DIRECT DELIVERY

Last week HB 379 passed through the Delaware House and is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate Agriculture Committee. According to sources, the legislation is expected to pass through the Senate sometime this week. Under HB 379 vineyards that produce less than 1,000 cases of wine annually may ship limited amounts directly to retailers. Larger wineries, such as Nassau, would be required to use a wholesaler but could do so independently and for a small fee. HB 336, already passed by the House, would require that Delaware wineries and other out-of-state vintners use wholesalers when distributing to retailers.