To those annoyed by the state of Maryland’s regulations that prohibit out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to Old Line State residents, there’s promising news in Annapolis. As the Baltimore Business Journal reported late last week, reform legislation was filed in the House and Senate on Friday.

The Washington Post‘s Ann E. Marimow reported on Monday:

But a key component of the bill will likely face stiff opposition from the powerful alcohol industry. As written, the measure would allow consumers to buy wine directly from out-of-state retailers.

Anticipating such opposition, [Maryland Del. Del. Dereck] Davis said last week, “I’m going to do what I can to forge a consensus.” A compromise bill, for instance, could allow direct shipment from wineries – but not from out-of-state retailers.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is opposed to reform, which is being pushed by some big names in the business, including Top Chef/Volt‘s Bryan Voltaggio.

Stay tuned …

Photo by Flickr user Theo Geo using a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license