Pennsylvania is the first state to allow international wineries direct shipping to residents. The other 43 states that have also enacted direct shipping only allow shipping from domestic wineries. “The changes were part of Act 39, an alcohol law overhaul that granted grocery stores and others with restaurant licenses to sell wine to go, put lottery ticket machines in state stores and expanded store hours.”
This is particularly important for smaller wineries as they could use Pennsylvania as a test to see how they can navigate the legal complexities of the beverage alcohol industry. Being able to ship direct is a great way to connect to costumers when they are not big enough to sell nationally.
With this said, foreign wineries will still need an importer of record in the US because they will not be able to get an importers permit without a physical presence in the states. This could possibly deter some from trying to ship directly to customers. Source: triblive.com