Nearly 160,000 Bottles Of Wine Were Illegally Shipped To Michigan

Some vino would be keano! Each state has different laws for shipping alcohol in-state, between states, and internationally, as well as treating beer, spirits, and wine differently. More than one-third of every bottle of alcohol shipped into Michigan during the first quarter of 2020 was shipped illegally.

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission found that in the first quarter of 2020, 410,304 bottles of alcohol were shipped into the mitten state. Of those bottles, 159,152 were shipped illegally from unlicensed, out-of-state retailers.

Wineries must be licensed by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission before they can legally ship into Michigan. Breweries, distilleries and wineries must meet the requirements and regulations in both the state they’re shipping from and the state they’re shipping to.

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When Prohibition ended with the 21st Amendment, it gave states the power to regulate and set their own laws on the sale of alcoholic beverages in their states. Since 2005, the state of Michigan permits direct shipping from wineries to consumers, but shipping from retailers is strictly prohibited.

Over the last two years, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has sued more than a half-dozen out-of-state retailers caught shipping wine illegally into Michigan. Spencer Nevins, president of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association said,

"While illegal wine shipping remains a pervasive problem in Michigan, the numbers are beginning to go down thanks to efforts from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and Attorney General Dana Nessel to crack down on the bad actors who are thumbing their nose at Michigan law."

There are some universal rules for shipping alcohol that include:

• Alerting the carrier that a shipment contains alcohol
• Paying a special alcohol package fee
• An adult that is 21 or older must sign for the package

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