According to the Baltimore Sun’s website, the Maryland General Assembly has initially approved a bill to allow wine shipping directly to consumers. Finally passage is expected to take place soon. Maryland wine enthusiasts have been looking for this friendly wine shipping legislation for a long time. At least 37 states are ahead of Maryland in terms of wine shipping, so this legislation is a long time coming.

Both the state of Maryland and the residents benefit when this law is enacted. When Maryland residents are able to order wine online, Maryland will receive more revenue that it needs. Revenue will be obtained from additional taxes collected and a yearly fee paid by wineries to allow them to ship into Maryland. It’s a win-win situation for the people of Maryland.

For those who believe that such legislation will lose jobs because people won’t buy from their local liquor shops, I believe they are incorrect. It’s called competition. The wine shops and the like should focus on offering more than just wine in their shops. As the old saying goes, “Think outside of the box.”

It should be noted that the current legislation would not allow retailers to ship wine. An amendment to allow Kosher wines to be shipped from retailers, which can be difficult to get, also is not included in the current direct wine shipping law.

Cheers, Kathy