Lansing — Some area wineries have mixed reaction to state Senate legislation approved on Thursday that would allow wineries inside and outside of Michigan to directly ship to consumers up to 1,500 cases of wine a year.
The chamber voted 35-0 to send the House bills that would let Michigan residents buy wine from out-of-state vintners. The legislation also would let Michigan's 42 wineries send wine on their own to in-state restaurants and retailers, a departure from a bill passed by the House. Wineries had complained that curtailing that activity would drastically harm their sales.
The Senate legislation is a compromise between wineries and the state's beer and wine wholesalers.
"It's fabulous that the wholesalers and wineries can come to a mutual agreement that works for both of us," said Mike Beck, president of Uncle John's Fruit House Winery, 8614 N. U.S. 127, in St. John's. "They come to my winery and then want to reminisce that experience back home — in Indiana, Ohio, wherever."
Beck said the legislation will help business.
"It's a big issue for us, it's a way for us small wineries to grow," Beck said. "One of the only ways I can get to customers is through direct shipment."
Lawmakers have been debating how to regulate wine sales since May, when the U.S. Supreme Court said Michigan and New York discriminated against out-of-state wineries by banning them from shipping straight to consumers.
Norman Moffatt, founder of Sandhill Crane Vineyards, 4724 Walz Road, in Jackson, said the company will "never, never" ship the allotted 1,500 cases.
"It's nice to have it clarified," Moffatt said. "It's a can of worms out of state, because they have different regulations per state."
To ship wine straight to consumers, vintners would need a $100 state license. Direct shippers would pay taxes to the state. Wineries also would have to obtain a faxed copy of the buyer's driver's license or use an age-verification service to make sure minors do not buy alcohol on the Internet.
Democratic Sens. Virg Bernero of Lansing, Irma Clark-Coleman of Detroit and Bob Emerson of Flint were absent and did not vote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
