Amazon.com expects to start selling American wine inside the US within a few weeks, according to the Napa Valley Vintners Association.
Terry Hall, spokesman for the 315-member trade organization, said the NVVA has arranged workshops for producers who might want to sell their wine via Amazon.
Hall said that Amazon was 'really looking to be the go-to website for wine sales,' and that 'they're fast-tracking it right now' and hope to sell wine in about 26 states.
Amazon's headquarters in Seattle, Washington, declined to comment.
The Stonebridge Research Group, wine consultants in Napa, said Amazon would work with New Vine Logistics, a Napa firm that specializes in sales fulfillment and that can deliver in up to 45 states.
Since the US Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that states must give in-state and out-of-state wineries equal shipping rights, wineries' direct shipments to consumers have been legalized in 35 states, according to Free the Grapes, an advocacy organization for wineries and consumers.
'The step forward with Amazon being a wine retailer is just more testament to the fact that Americans are really becoming a wine-drinking economy,' Hall said.
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I am always in favor of reducing regulation whenever possible. California agriculture, and other business, is being strangled by regulation. Is you own anything or have a business in California, you are probably going to be out of compliance on some regulation you may not even be aware of. This is the problem with California's economy.
Sharon Harston
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