Re: Is it legal??

Aug 01, 2003 5 Replies

Don't everyone jump up at once to help...


Long time reader, first time poster.
>
> My girlfriend took a trop to Australia some years back and brought home with
> her a couple of bottoles of Choc-a-bloc port. We've searched high and low
> for this stuff in the states but haven't been able to find any. I'm
> wondering if it's legal to have done what the winery has suggested in the
> email - I've pasted it below.
>
> I live in Houston, Texas - any help would be greatly appreciated as I'd love
> to have this delivered in time for my g/f's birthday at the end of > September.
>
> --------------message follows--------------
>
>
> Dear Al,
>
> Yes we make the Choc-a-bloc port. The sad news is that we only sell it from
> our Cellar Door in Australia. We can forward it to you if your state laws > allow.
> The air freight on 1 carton to the USA is approximately AUD$260.00 which is
> to your door, licensing laws permitting.
> The wine would cost AUD$194.00 for 12 bottles. Therefore your cost on 1
> dozen chocolate port would be AUD$454.00.
>
> Hoping this will with your decision.
>
> Best regards,
> Lesley Stanley.
>
>

The Lord helps those that help themselves. A quick Google on "wine shipping" will get you this link:

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It tells you that Texas is one of those benighted areas that still consider the shipment of spirits to be evil.

Shipping of wine and spirits throughout the US is a complex issue, governed by local state laws. Some places are quite liberal and others very restrictive. Texas is on the wrong side of this picture.

Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (ret) ***"When Thunder Rolled: *** An F-105 Pilot Over N. Vietnam" *** from Smithsonian Books ISBN: 1588341038

I don't know if it's legal or not you might want to check with the Texas Dept of Commerce. There are a couple of Chocolate Ports that are available here in the States. Sonoma Valley Portworks makes a chocolate Port called Deco and Rosenblum makes a chocolate Port called Danielle. I think both are priced at about $20.00 a bottle and should be easy enough to find. Bi!!

I googled all over the place yesterday and found tons of stuff including the postings (in alt.food.wine) from July 18th about shipping wine to Texas, but

99% of everything I found specicially made light of inter/intrastate shipping, since I'll be importing from Australia, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have a TABC agent arriving with the case.

Two great sources of information:

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Interested in reading the 55 page ruling that was filed June 26th? try here:

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What I was looking for was a real world interpretation or someone that may have already ordered from out of the country (hopefully from somewhere in Oz) who had been succesful.

I really appreciate the replies and please accept my apologies for how I went about getting them...

-Al

Thanks for the suggestions. I believe she's tried Danielle and possibly Trentadue, don't know about Deco though.

I'm pretty sure she's more stuck on where the wine came from than the exact taste of it.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll see if I can round up a bottle of Deco for her! :)

-Al

Hmm - might be cheaper to buy a packet of labels from Oz, and a case of domestic to stick them on.......

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