State licenses could let wine flow for Christmas
Out-of-state wineries seek approval to ship to Arizona
Arizona liquor officials on Tuesday started the process of licensing out-ofstate wineries that want to ship directly to consumers.
Depending on the variables surrounding paperwork and bureaucracy, the first licenses could be issued in time for Arizonans to purchase gifts for the oenophiles on their list in time for the holiday season.
“The goal is to get them in business as fast as we possibly can,” said John Cocca, director of the state liquor department, “and for wineries to be able to ship for the Christmas season.”
But that favored out-of-state winery has to take the time and trouble to apply for the new license that allows such shipments. Cocca said that by midday Wednesday, about 10 wineries had applied. He expected a surge in the next week.
Small out-of-state wineries and most Arizona wineries — called “farm wineries” in state statute — can still ship to Arizona residents under their existing licenses.
But larger out-of-state wineries will have to obtain the new license in order to ship to Arizona consumers, whether that purchase is made online, over the telephone, in-person or through a wine club, Cocca said.
The Arizona Liquor Department placed the application for the Direct-toConsumer Wine Shipment license on its website Tuesday afternoon. The posted instructions said the department will only take applications through that website. The $225 fee for the license would have to be mailed in, the department’s website said.
To get a license, a winery must be licensed by a state and by the federal government and be in good standing, the instructions say. The wineries also must have an Arizona tax identification number. If they don’t, according to the instructions, it can take up to 8 days to obtain one from the Arizona Department of Revenue.
Applicants must not have a felony on their record, according to the new state law. Those with misdemeanors will face a delay in getting their license as