Shipping Information
A Quick Summary on How To Order
To place an order through our website, go to the “The Wines” page on the main menu bar and select the wines you wish to purchase by entering the number of bottles and clicking the “add to cart” button. (Or you can select a wine to purchase on the sub-page that provides additional information about a specific wine.) When you have completed your selection, continue the purchase by clicking on the “checkout” button. This will take you to a window where you provide your billing and shipping addresses, specify the carrier you wish to use and the mode of shipping (next day, 2-day, etc.), and enter information for the credit card you will be using. The website will automatically check to make sure it’s legal for us to ship wine to the address you provided; calculate any taxes applicable to sales to your address; add the shipping charges; and, when you approve the final order, it will charge your credit card.
For Orders Placed by Wine Club and Legacy Members
Members of our Wine Club and certain Legacy Members (such as Inaugural Purchasers of our first 1993 vintage) receive special pricing on wines ordered through our website. Also, some limited release, library, and pre-release wines are available only to customers who have elected to join our Wine Club or are Legacy Members. To receive the discount and gain access to purchase special wines, be sure to log in to the website before placing your order. The website will automatically give you access to all wines and apply any available discounts prior to your being asked to finalize your order.
To which states can we ship wine directly to purchasers?
At the present time, Snowden can legally ship wine directly to purchasers in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Occasionally specific counties within these states may prohibit the sale or shipment of alcoholic beverages. If you specify an address in one of those counties when you order wine, our website will not complete the order.
A note on Texas: if you have access to a Spec’s store with a good wine selection, we recommend checking to see if they have the Snowden wines you’re looking for on hand or can get them for you. Spec’s has taken a particular interest in Snowden -- most of its larger stores stock our wines and many of their wine sales staff have visited the ranch. If it's convenient for you to purchase through Spec's, between their competitive pricing, the elimination of shipping charges, and their temperature-safe commercial shipping, your cost should be comparable to purchasing from us and you will avoid the delay and risk of shipping.
At the present time, we cannot legally ship wine directly to purchasers in the following states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Unfortunately, as a very small wine producer, we lack the resources to qualify to ship to every possible state – and, we will only ship to states where we're legally qualified. If you live in a state in which we have not qualified and would like us to consider doing so, please let us know. We'll always explore qualification and, if it's feasible, move ahead with new states.
Alternatively, please consider whether it would be possible for you to purchase wine at an address in a nearby state where direct shipments are allowed.
Also, under some circumstances it may be possible for a customer to arrange for wines to be purchased in California and then shipped by the customer to himself or herself in another state. We would be happy to refer you to independent shippers who may be able to advise you on the feasibility of this alternative.
Picking Up Your Order in the Napa Valley Versus Having Us Ship It To You.
If you are planning a visit to the Napa Valley, instead of having your order shipped, you can pick the wine up at our office in St. Helena. For pick-up orders, the price of the wine will be the same, there is of course no shipping charge, but California sales taxes will apply. To arrange a pick-up order, just contact us at (707) 963-4292 or by email at office@snowdenvineyards.com.
To whom can we ship wine?
Our wine shipments must be received and signed for in person by an adult who is 21 years of age or older. If an adult is not available to receive and sign for a wine delivery, most shippers will attempt delivery two more times. Whenever possible, we recommend that wine be shipped to a commercial business address to ensure the availability of an adult to receive the shipment when delivery is attempted. This is especially important in warmer areas because the wine may not be properly stored by the shipper while waiting for the next attempt to deliver.
Some states have adopted special restrictions, such as limits on the amount of wine a resident may purchase during a given period of time. We endeavor to track the amount of wine we ship to a given purchaser but cannot ensure that a specific individual has met all requirements imposed on purchasers by his or her home state. Please comply with the requirements imposed on you under your state’s laws.
To what kinds of addresses can wine be delivered?
Shipments must go to street addresses which refer to a geographic location. We cannot ship to post office boxes or to military FPO or APO addresses. Again, we recommend the use of a commercial business address whenever possible to ensure the availability of an adult to receive the shipment.
Shipping carriers and modes
When you move into the “checkout” process, you will be asked to select the carrier and mode of shipping. The website will usually propose Federal Express Ground as the “default” carrier and mode, however, for most states, you will be offered a selection of two or more carriers and, for each carrier there will usually be a choice of shorter and longer delivery times, with corresponding variations in shipping charges.
When selecting the carrier and mode of shipment, please give careful consideration to which carrier in your experience provides the best service in your area; and also to the weather. While no shipping mode guarantees complete protection from heat exposure, UPS Summer Solutions and Federal Express Temp Control shipping modes significantly reduce the risk.
To comply with state laws, it is necessary for legal title to the wines you are purchasing to transfer from us to you when the wines are delivered to the designated carrier in California. That means the risk of damage to the wines during transit, whether from hot weather or other causes, falls on the purchaser. The last thing we want is for your wine to arrive damaged from heat or other causes. We attempt to time shipments to minimize weather concerns. Also, in hotter areas and seasons, selecting faster delivery modes will tend to reduce the risk of heat damage. If you wish expedited shipping in a mode that you don’t see offered; have other questions about our shipping practices; or believe your shipment has been damaged during transit, please contact us.
Shipping charges
Our shipping charges are based on the estimated average charges by our contract fulfillment service for deliveries by the designated carrier and mode to addresses located in your state. Snowden does not add a handling fee or mark-up to the shipping charges which we pass through to our customers. We have selected our fulfillment service with the goal of providing prompt, quality shipping services at competitive prices.
Shipping timeline
Orders will normally ship within a few days of being placed, although we may delay shipment if we believe it will reduce the risk of damage from heat or other specific hazards. All orders placed through our website will be shipped from Napa, California. The time from shipment to delivery will vary according to the carrier and mode which you have selected for your order. You should receive automatic updates by email as your order is received and the wine shipped. If you would like assistance tracking the progress of your order or if your estimated delivery date is particularly time sensitive, feel free to contact us.
To contact us regarding orders and shipping questions
Our office phone number is (707) 963-4292 and the email address is office@snowdenvineyards.com. Our office hours are normally 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Pacific Standard or Daylight Time), Monday through Thursday. You may call during those hours to speak with our office manager; or leave a message at any time and we will return the call as soon as possible. If you have questions or input regarding the use of our website, you can contact us by going to “Us” on the main menu bar on our website and selecting "Contact Us" from the drop-down; or by emailing to info@snowdenvineyards.com.