ATLANTA — North Georgia wineries are almost toasting a victory on direct shipping laws that will allow them to sell wine to customers via the Internet.
A bill passed by the General Assembly last week would allow each Georgian of drinking age to order up to 12 cases of wine online, as long as they provide age verification and an adult signs for the alcohol.
The legislation still needs the approval of Gov. Sonny Perdue, who hasn’t expressed an opinion on the measure yet, spokesman Bert Brantley said.
The law would help expand the business of Georgia’s first farm winery, The Georgia Winery on Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold, owner Patty Prouty said.
“We do get calls all the time asking if they’re going to be able to order online,” she said. “I’m sure business will pick up.”
The Georgia Winery was started in 1982 by her father, retired Chattanooga cardiologist Maurice Rawlings.
Ms. Prouty took over the business from her father, continuing his development of the winery and vineyards. She gave up her medical technology career to take over the winery because she loved the outdoors, she said at the time.
The online sales should boost business, which has been growing.
In the last few years Ms. Prouty expanded the operation in Catoosa County from 2,400 square feet to 16,000 square feet. She said The Georgia Winery has continued to collect awards from the wines it has developed, and she has a mailing list of some 15,000 customers.
Sales are also boosted by customers who get off of Interstate 75 to visit the facility and tasting center on Battlefield Parkway, and there are a total of four tasting centers in the state, Ms. Prouty said.
Steve Gibson, manager of Habersham Winery near Helen, Ga., said he hopes the online wine sales bill survives Gov. Perdue’s scrutiny.
“I’m happy it passed both chambers so easily,” Mr. Gibson said. “Hopefully it won’t be a veto invite. It’s a real important industry to rural Georgia.”
Almost 40 states allow residents to buy wine online.
In past years, the wine wholesale industry, which distributes the product from wineries to retailers throughout the state, had opposed allowing Georgians to order over the Internet, fearing it would cut into their market.
But now they support the legislation that limits the number of cases one person can order, and Mr. Gibson said he expects Internet sales will end up bringing more business to the wholesalers.
“This will really benefit smaller wineries that don’t have wholesaler distribution in place,” he said. “Maybe this will allow the smaller wineries to increase product recognition to get a wholesaler.”
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Dalton, who co-sponsored the bill and helped it through the House Regulated Industries Committee that he chairs, said the measure is “primarily, an economic development bill.” “It’s well thought out and will do a lot to help the farm wine industry in Georgia,” Rep. Williams said. Another bill awaiting Gov. Pe rd ue’s go-ahead would allow wineries to sell alcohol other than their own wines in satellite tasting rooms across the state.
This will particularly help Habersham’s Italian restaurant that’s not part of the main winery, so they can sell beer with pizza, as other restaurants around it, Mr. Gibson said.
“It levels the playing field,” he said.
Another piece of wine-related legislation, but unrelated to farm wineries, passed that would allow customers to take home from a restaurant an open bottle of wine if it is resealed and put in the trunk or glove box of the vehicle. This also awaits the governor’s approval.
On other alcoholic beverage legislation:
Gov. Perdue openly opposed this session Rep. Williams’ measure to allow local governments to let their voters decide whether grocery and other retails stores should be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays.
The governor also opposed Rep. Williams’ attempt to attach his Sunday sales measure to a to a bill that would permit Sunday sales of beer at a Gwinnett County stadium, but Gov. Perdue did support the narrower Sunday sales at the stadium.
