Shipping Questions

We do not distribute our wines or sell them through brokers, wine shops or restaurants and our limited production of wines places us in the "boutique winery" category.

This allows us to ship wine directly to the consumer in many states throughout the United States where many other wineries cannot because they have prior commitments with local liquor distributors or are too large to permit shipping direct-to-consumer.


Shipment Safety

When are the Wine Club shipments sent?

  • Regular shipments come in February, May, October and December or you can design your own special shipment schedule, e.g., Summer home/Winter home. Shipments may be slightly delayed if there are extreme weather conditions.

I live in a hot climate so how do you protect my wines from the heat while they are being shipped?

  • For Wine Club shipments you may opt for our “Extreme Climates” option where instead of shipping four times each year we only ship in April and November.

What if I want wines shipped to me in Summer months?

  • If you want wines shipped in summer we will include “cool packs” and ship either via 2-day air or our weekly temperature controlled trucks to ensure your wines arrive safely.

"Wine-Friendly" Temperature Controlled Trucks

We are able to ship our wines throughout summer and in extreme winter weather. For California, Arizona and Nevada we include ice packs and deliver the next day, via courier service. For other states we ship our wines in temperature controlled trucks through air conditioned distribution centers.

We email you with a tracking number when the wines leave our warehouse. They are transported by ground across country to one of four gateway warehouses located in Houston, TX; Jacksonville, FL; Chicago, IL and New York, NY.

At the gateway warehouse the packages are cross-docked to another truck and transported to the UPS or FedEx distribution center nearest to you. Up to this stage the wines have constantly been in a temperature controlled environment. From the distribution center they are dispatched for delivery to you via a normal UPS or FedEx delivery vehicle. This method has significant benefits, namely:

  • You are able to order and receive wines, even in summer.
  • We are able to maintain regular ground shipping costs - approximately half that of shipping via air.
  • The wines have been maintained in a temperature controlled environment throughout their journey.
  • The package goes through significantly less manual steps reducing the opportunity for breakage.

While the truck is traveling across country there will be no updates to the tracking information for the first five to seven days of the truck's journey. Immediately prior to delivery the local UPS/FedEx distribution center will provide tracking updates so you will know exactly when to expect delivery.

We are working with our shipping partners and expect to be able to provide more extensive tracking information on future deliveries. In the meantime please feel free to call 707-433-1500 or email us regarding your delivery.


How We Ship

Do you ship to my state?

  • We ship to all states where it is legal for us to do so. Sometimes a state's law may have recently changed allowing wine shipments under special conditions so we suggest you contact us via email or phone 707-433-1500 so we can assist.

What is your shipping policy?

  • Each order is shipped in sturdy, shock absorbent wine shipping containers enclosed in a cardboard box, all manufactured as recycled, environmentally friendly packaging. If something happens with the wine during shipping we will replace it, without question.

What is my “tracking number"?

  • As part of processing your order we engage a carrier such as UPS or FedEx to deliver it to you. When your package is picked up the carrier allocates it a “tracking number” to identify and trace your shipment as it moves through their system to your destination. When we know your “tracking number” we send an e-mail notification to you. By clicking on the “tracking number” in the email it will take you to the carrier’s web site and automatically tell you where your package is currently and when they estimate you can expect delivery. Carriers generally are unable to specify an exact delivery time but typically deliveries occur during normal business hours.

What happens if I move?

  • If you move, simply notify us of your new address by contacting us via phone, fax, mail or email prior to your move. Contacting us ahead of time will prevent missed shipments or shipping charges incurred due to misdirected wines. If you are logged into our web site as a club member you may also update your record online by simply clicking on your name at the top of any page.

Shipping & Title of Alcohol

What is your policy with regard to the sale and shipment of alcoholic beverages?

  • We will only sell and deliver alcoholic beverages within the United States to persons who are at least 21 years old. IN PLACING YOUR ORDER YOU REPRESENT TO US THAT YOU ARE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD AND THAT THE PERSON TO WHOM YOU ARE DIRECTING DELIVERY IS AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD. The buyer is solely responsible for shipment of their own alcoholic beverage products. By placing an order, you authorize us to act on your behalf to engage a common carrier such as FedEx, UPS or Golden State to deliver your order to you. When your wine is delivered the person receiving delivery should be able to show identification proving they are at least 21 years old.

What are my tax responsibilities in purchasing wine?

  • The purchaser is responsible for any tax due. For shipments within the State of California and certain other states, we automatically collect and pay the sales taxes due. Any failure on our part relating to a federal or state tax issue however, cannot be used for the purpose of avoiding any tax or related penalties that may be imposed under any applicable state tax code or Internal Revenue Code.