Amazon To Open Online Wine Sales

Good news for Amazon-aholics: the online retailer is jumping back into the wine industry, and plans to start selling wine online. 

The Wall Street Journal and Business Journals reports that Amazon met with vintners from Sonoma and Napa County to discuss the details; reports say that the newest online venture could be up and running in a month. Amazon wants to be selling in time for the holidays, reported journalist and book author Lewis Perdue on his website, Sonoma's Wine Industry Insight. 

Three years ago, Amazon had plans to start selling wine, but it had to shelve them because of financial troubles with its financial partner, New Vine Logisitics. While the new online store may be exciting, there are some hurdles Amazon will face. Not only are there differences between state laws for who can sell alcoholic beverages, but there's also the issue of minors signing for boozy packages. Stats from wine.com, an online retailer of wine, report that only 1 percent of sales from wine sold in the U.S. are online — but if anyone can change those numbers, it's Amazon.