California has generated considerable excitement in the industry by offering a DTC permit allowing craft distillers across the country to ship their products directly to consumers in California, one of the country's largest retail markets. Since COVID, California craft distillers have had a temporary direct shipping privilege, which ends 12/31/2025. California’s new Type 94 Direct Shipper Permit will allow spirits direct shipping for both in-state and out-of-state craft distillers. CA ABC will accept applications starting December 15, 2025, and will issue permits effective January 1, 2026. Here's what craft distillers need to know about this new permit; those located outside of California should consider these requirements before jumping on this opportunity: The permit is only available to distillers producing 150,000 gallons or less per year, of which sixty-five percent (65%) must be of their own production. The permit will expire on 12/31/2026 and cannot be renewed unl

The calendar flip from 2024 to 2025 heralded several new packaging regulations, rulemaking updates, and bills with significant implications for consumer packaged goods in North America and Europe. Recent packaging legislation is reshaping packaging requirements for waste reduction, recyclable materials, circularity, and sustainability. However, actions by the Trump Administration may defer regulatory action at the U.S. federal level and shift packaging-related policies. EPR Packaging Laws Five U.S. states—California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, and Minnesota—have passed extended producer responsibility laws for packaging. While each state's requirements vary, they share common goals of reducing packaging waste, enhancing recycling efforts, and holding producers (e.g., brand owners) accountable for the life cycle of their products. Since the start of the year, nine states have introduced or re-introduced EPR packaging bills. They include Washington, Tennessee, Hawaii

The wine industry is evolving toward a circular economy. Pioneers in this movement include viticulturists who began the transition to regenerative agriculture and wineries leading the move to renewable energy like solar fields or more sustainable materials, such as lightweight bottles and post-consumer recycled labels. Efforts are spreading from these innovators to the broader industry as the impacts of climate change increase the urgency and neighbors see the effectiveness of these solutions. “While every industry is subject to trends, it is especially true for wine,” says Michael Garretson, who manages the RafCycle program at UPM Raflatac. “That could be because these companies are close neighbors. Driving along Highway 29 through Napa Valley, you see one winery after another. The same is true in Sonoma or Santa Barbara. They know each other; they’re members of the same organizations, attend the same conferences and events, and talk to each other. Even for a g

Afternoon Brief, February 16th

Hoopes Winery Civil Trial in Napa County Wraps After 11 Days, Ruling Could Take Months: Whether Napa Valley vintner Lindsay Hoopes has been using company structures as a shield against liability was the focus Wednesday of the 11th and final day of trial in a county lawsuit over alleged winery permit violations...

As mentioned in our recent blog post, Compliance With Bottle Bill Just One Month Away for Wine and Spirits, California law changed on January 1, 2024, to include wine and distilled spirits in California’s Beverage Container Recycling Program. California wineries and distilleries will now need to register with CalRecycle, submit monthly reports, pay certain fees, and make sure their labels include an appropriate recyclability message from July 1, 2025. CalRecycle will host a 2-hour webinar on February 23, 2024 aimed at small wineries to explain how the changes will affect them. The webinar will also include a demonstration on how to use the Division of Recycling Integrated Information System (DORIIS) for monthly reporting and payment of fees.  The webinar is limited to 1,000 attendees, so register as soon as possible at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkd-6upj4tEtCVEASeUimnDkRGDsY7glXV.  The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session. For questions about the

CalRecycle anticipates bringing 1 billion bottles into the recycling program with the addition of wine and spirits. Amy Cameron, CalRecycle Written by Jeanette Tan  |  Photo by Shutterstock This new law affects all California wineries and out-of-state wineries shipping directly to customers in California. Just a reminder that I’m not a CPA or a Compliance expert. For the rules and regulations go to  CalRecycle CalRecycle YouTube Channel Webinar Recording Register for CalRecycle webinar on December 13th 11/20/23 Update - Turns out (no surprise) some of the rules have been changing. The Sonoma County Vintners held a webinar in Mid-November and discussed these changes: Sonoma County Vintners YouTube Video 11/20/23 Wines bottled and labeled before January 1, 2024 DO NOT need to comply with the label rules, so get your labels for your 2024 botte runs updated now. The winery needs to pay for the CRV for wines sold to Restaurants and DTC (including restaurants is a

Here’s a timely reminder about the new California recycling requirements going into effect January 1, 2024. Registration with CalRecycle. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to register with CalRecycle as a beverage manufacturer and/or beverage distributor, and make any changes to your POS and accounting systems needed to keep track of the fees that are your responsibility (described below). You also need to make sure that your POS system calculates the CA sales tax on the total retail price of wine sold, including the CRV fee. CRV fees. If you sell wine or spirits to California consumers and/or retailers, you are considered a “beverage distributor” under CA’s recycling law. Beginning January 1 you must collect CRV fees on all bottle sales to California customers. CRV fees are $0.05/container for containers under 24 fluid ounces, $0.10/container for containers 24 fluid ounces or more, and $0.25 for bladders and boxes of any size. You will re

2023 KEG VOLUME GROWTH The difference is that trends don't stand the test of time while movements only grow more and more powerful over time. Free Flow has seen impressive growth with keg shipments up more than 25% this year. While overall wine consumption is down, wine consumption from our steel kegs are rising. Wineries are committed to sustainable packaging options to reduce their CO2 emissions and eliminate waste while maintaining the highest quality of wine. Operators are engaged in finding solutions to improve service efficiency, beverage quality, and their environmental impact. Thank you to everyone who's supported our efforts to champion the most sustainable and profitable way to enjoy wine by-the-glass. NATIONAL SALES MEETINGS We're encouraging our key partners to help us make continued growth of wine on tap a priority. One great way to do this is by inviting our Business Development team to your 2024 National Sales Meetings. It’s amazing how impactful &ldqu

COMPLIANCE WITH BOTTLE BILL JUST ONE MONTH AWAY FOR WINE AND SPIRITS On January 1, 2024, California’s container recycling deposit system (referred to often as the “Bottle Bill”) will expand to include wine, spirits, and wine and spirits coolers (regardless of ABV).  Below is a brief overview of what wineries, distilleries, importers and wholesalers of wine and spirits need to do to comply! Register with CalRecycle as a Beverage Manufacturer and/or Distributor Register with CalRecycle as soon as possible to prepare for monthly payment and reporting requirements beginning January 1, 2024. California-Based: California wineries and distilleries, and importers of wine or spirits into California, will need to register as a “beverage manufacturer.” They will also need to register as a “distributor” if they sell to retailers (whether on-sale or off-sale), restaurants, bars, or directly to consumers. Out-of-State: Out-of-state wineries and distille