(a)        A winery holding a federal basic wine manufacturing permit located within or outside of the State may apply to the Commission for issuance of a wine shipper permit that shall authorize the shipment of brands of fortified and unfortified wines identified in the application. The applicant shall not be required to pay an application fee for the wine shipper permit. A wine shipper permittee may amend the brands of wines identified in the permit application but shall file any amendment with the Commission. Any winery that applies for a wine shipper permit shall notify in writing any wholesalers that have been authorized to distribute the winery’s brands within the State that an application has been filed for a wine shipper permit. A wine shipper permittee may sell and ship not more than two cases of wine per month to any person in North Carolina to whom alcoholic beverages may be lawfully sold. All sales and shipments shall be for personal use only and not for resale. A case of wine shall mean any combination of packages containing not more than nine liters of wine.

(b)        A wine shipper permittee that ships to addresses in the State more than 1,000 cases of wine in a calendar year must appoint at least one wholesaler to offer and sell the products of the wine shipper permittee under Article 12 of this Chapter if the wine shipper permittee is contacted by a wholesaler that wishes to sell the products of the wine shipper permittee. This provision shall not be construed to require the wine shipper permittee to appoint the wholesaler that originally contacted the wine shipper permittee. Wine purchased by a resident of the State at the premises of the wine shipper permittee and shipped to an address in the State under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 18B-109(d) shall not be included in calculating the total of 1,000 cases per year.

(c)        A wine shipper permittee may contract with the holder of a wine shipper packager permit for the packaging and shipment of wine pursuant to this section. The direct shipment of wine by wine shipper or wine shipper packager permittees pursuant to this section shall be made by approved common carrier only. Each common carrier shall apply to the Commission for approval to provide common carriage of wines shipped by holders of permits issued pursuant to this section.

Each common carrier making deliveries pursuant to this section shall:

(1)        Require the recipient, upon delivery, to demonstrate that the recipient is at least 21 years of age by providing a form of identification specified in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 18B-302(d)(1).

(2)        Require the recipient to sign an electronic or paper form or other acknowledgment of receipt as approved by the Commission.

(3)        Refuse delivery when the proposed recipient appears to be under the age of 21 years and refuses to present valid identification as required by subdivision (1) of this subsection.

(4)        Submit any other information that the Commission shall require.

All wine shipper and wine shipper packager permittees shipping wines pursuant to this section shall affix a notice in 26-point type or larger to the outside of each package of wine shipped within or to the State in a conspicuous location stating: “CONTAINS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; SIGNATURE OF PERSON AGED 21 YEARS OR OLDER REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY”. Any delivery of wines to a person under 21 years of age by a common carrier shall constitute a violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 18B-302(a)(1) by the common carrier. The common carrier and the wine shipper or wine shipper packager permittee shall be liable only for their independent acts.

(d)       A wine shipper permittee shall be subject to jurisdiction of the North Carolina courts by virtue of applying for a wine shipper permit and shall comply with any audit or other compliance requirements of the Commission and the Department of Revenue. (2003-402, s. 2; 2004-203, s. 26(a); 2005-380, s. 2; 2006-227, s. 4.)