Ordering alcohol in many states is pretty simple, but it’s a different story in Delaware.
In short, it’s illegal to ship alcohol of any kind within this state. The only exception to this law is if a resident of Delaware visits a retailer or winery in-person, makes the purchase on-site, then ships the product home.
Delaware doesn’t allow its residents to join any wine clubs or place orders via phone, fax, or over the internet. This makes it incredibly difficult for people living in Delaware to receive wine in the mail.
Read on to learn more about Delaware’s alcohol shipping laws.
Overview of wine shipping laws in Delaware
As previously stated, Delaware’s alcohol shipping laws are incredibly strict, unlike states with open permits like California and Colorado.
Shipping wine throughout the state is illegal, unless the transaction is made in person. Some wine clubs have retail locations where you can purchase their wine, but it’s obviously not easy to travel out of state to do this.
An example of a wine club that has a retail location is Firstleaf. They have an outlet in Napa, California, but it’s very unlikely that a resident of Delaware would travel that far to receive a wine shipment. It’s much easier to drive to a local retailer and purchase the wine you want.
In addition to the strict alcohol shipping laws the state of Delaware has, there is also a cap on how much wine you can have shipped to your home. Customers in the state of Delaware may only ship up to three cases of wine per year, and that means you may only receive a maximum of 36 bottles of wine annually in the mail – and you’ll have to purchase the wine on-site.
A potential loophole to this law is that it doesn’t state that this is the quantity that can be received per household. If you have multiple people living in your home that are 21 years or older, you may receive an additional 36 bottles of wine each year, but only if the purchase is made in person.
Are there any wine clubs that ship to Delaware?
As stated, when using a wine club in the state of Delaware, you can only have wine shipped to you if you make the purchase in person. In fact, the shipping laws of the state of Delaware are so strict that they even prohibit you from having a wine club subscription.
This means if you want to receive a shipment from a wine club, you must make the order in person, and can’t have a subscription. This makes it virtually impossible for wine clubs to ship to Delaware, so many don’t even have the option available.
If you do purchase wine from a wine club in person, you can only ship a maximum of three cases or 36 bottles of wine annually to your home.
Honestly, it really isn’t worth the effort to seek out a wine club that will work with the residents of Delaware because it’s extremely hard to find any wine clubs that will even ship to you, even if you purchase on-site. It’s much easier to drive to a local retailer and purchase from there.
Can you order wine online in Delaware?
It’s illegal to purchase wine over the phone, via fax, or online in Delaware. The only exception is if you travel out of state to the retailer or wine club, and make the purchase on-site.
In short, it isn’t worth the effort to even attempt to order wine online from Delaware, because your shipment will be denied, not to mention that very few companies will even consider shipping wine to the state.
The most common type of wine purchase that would be shipped to a Delaware resident’s home is if they visit a winery while on vacation and want some bottles shipped home. Beyond that, it isn’t worth the effort.
Are there wine retailers that deliver to Delaware?
As we have discovered throughout the article, retailers will only ship to the state of Delaware if the purchase is made on-site. Additionally, the retailer may only ship three cases or 36 bottles of wine annually to your home. Many retailers choose not to even bother with this, because the alcohol shipping laws in Delaware are so strict.
It’s much easier to drive to a local retailer and pick up the wine you want, rather than driving out of state to place a home delivery order.
Conclusion
Delaware is one of the most difficult states to ship alcohol to. It’s completely illegal to order wine over the phone or the internet in the state.
It’s also very unlikely that a resident of Delaware will travel out of state to visit a retailer or wine club to receive a shipment of 36 bottles annually.
Unfortunately, it just isn’t feasible to receive wine in the mail as a resident of Delaware. You can enjoy a quality bottle of wine within this state, but the easiest way to do so is to travel to a local retailer and physically purchase what you want at the store.
About the author
I’m a resident of Orange County, California originally hailing from Pennsylvania, so I’m a huge fan of Philadelphia-based sports teams. Some of my loves are my family (including my husband, one-year-old son, pit bull, and dachshund), animals, writing, working out, and all forms of alcohol especially wine. I worked at BevMo for over five years, so I definitely know my way around beer, spirits and wine. I am very passionate about wine and am a huge fan of all styles, but I have a soft spot for a great Sauvignon Blanc on a hot day. A fun fact about me is that I love hedgehogs and dogs, and I spend as much time as I can volunteering for animal rescues.