Mid-Year Compliance Updates Every U.S. Winery Should Know

Last week’s’s Free Training Friday was a must-watch for anyone in DTC wine sales navigating the world of compliance. Jeff Carroll, VP of Partnerships at Commerce7, and Alex Koral, Regulatory General Counsel at Sovos ShipCompliant broke down what’s changing in DTC compliance, what to watch for, and how to avoid costly missteps as we head into the second half of 2025.

What’s Going On in U.S. Compliance Right Now?

Alex Koral took us on a rapid-fire tour of what’s new (and what’s coming) in DTC compliance, and why it’s more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve. States are tightening rules, stepping up enforcement, and using new tech to flag non-compliance. If you’re not paying close attention, it’s easy to fall behind.

Some of the biggest takeaways included:

• New licensing rules in several states, especially for out-of-state shipping. If you haven’t double-checked your licenses lately, now is the time.
• Stricter reporting requirements in places like Michigan and Alabama and with them, higher penalties for mistakes or delays.
• Smarter enforcement: States are cross-referencing data across systems to catch inconsistencies faster than ever.

As Alex put it:

“States are getting more sophisticated. They’re connecting the dots in ways they couldn’t before and wineries need to do the same.”

Practical Tips for How to Stay Ahead 

The second half of the session focused on practical steps wineries can take right now to avoid trouble. Here’s what they recommend:

 1. Audit Your Licenses

Double-check that your shipping licenses are active, current, and correctly reflected in both Commerce7 and ShipCompliant. Don’t let an expired license block your sales, or worse, flag your brand for enforcement.

 2. Review Data Mapping

Ensure your customer data, product categories, and sales tax settings are correctly mapped. Small errors here can lead to rejected filings or inaccurate tax remittance.

3. Automate Where You Can

Manual compliance is risky. The integration between Commerce7 and ShipCompliant is designed to minimize human error by automating tax calculations, reporting, and licensing checks.

“If you’re still handling compliance manually, now’s the time to stop,” Jeff emphasized. “The tools exist to make this easier and to protect your business.”

Final Thoughts

Regulations are shifting fast, and wineries can’t afford to treat compliance as a one-and-done task. Whether you’re running a small brand or managing multiple wineries, this session made one thing clear: proactive compliance isn’t optional, it’s essential.

If you missed the live session or want to share it with your team, you can watch the full recording here.