SHIPPING

Please understand that we are a small operation and have done everything we can to keep costs down. Our goal is to bring you the best wine we can for the most affordable price. Therefore our overhead operation is kept to a minimum. We do not have the large shipping departments that the larger wineries have. Our best efforts are put into the making of good wine. We appreciate your patience as we work to get your wine to you. As Buffalo says, "just like making fine wine, shipping it takes time."

As we did last year, Mike Henry will package most of your orders for shipment by UPS to ten states.  We anticipate that most of the shipments to these states will be handled by UPS.  However, Buffalo, DDC Shipping, Stagecoach, and WWWShipping, will continue to ship to these same states, depending on the volume during any particular week. 

For now, all shipments will be by ground in order to minimize your shipment cost.  Please let us know if you require a different type of transport.  We'll keep an eye on the weather and change modes as the situation demands.

The shipping charges are listed below for the states that UPS will deliver for us.  These charges will appear on your Karl Lawrence receipt.  If Buffalo, DDC Shipping, or Stagecoach ships your wine, then your card will be charged by them, for that shipping charge.

These are the rates for winter/spring 2007 shipping

                                                      GROUND

         North-Central    Upper North &         WA, ID, NM             NE            IL, WV

750s     CA               So. CA & OR              CO, MT

 3          18.50                19.00                       19.50                      21.00          22.00

 6          24.00                25.00                        26.00                     30.00          32.00

 12        32.00                 34.00                       37.00                     44.00          50.00

MAGs

 1           20.00               21.00                        23.00                      24.00          25.00

 2           25.00               30.00                        32.00                      33.00          36.00

  3-DAY AIR

         North-Central    Upper North &         WA, ID, NM             NE            IL, WV

750s     CA               So. CA & OR              CO, MT

 3                                                                    24.00                    28.00            30.00

 6                                                                    34.00                    40.00             43.00

 12                                                                  49.00                    59.00             64.00

MAGs

 1                                                                   23.00                      24.00           25.00

 2                                                                   32.00                      33.00           36.00

Buffalo's, DDC Shipping's, Stagecoach's, and WWWShipping's rates are virtually the same as these.  Also, they are able to ship to many other states and their ground rates, for states close by these states, are also virtually the same as these.  Please contact them if you would like more specific information.

The typical shipping scenario goes like this:

We'll prepare invoices as your orders come in by fax, emails, or the regular posted mail. About ninety percent of orders come in by fax.  The first part of the week, Monday through Wednesday morning, we'll invoice your orders.  We cut off before noon to allow us to make the warehouse call in time.  By noon, we'll have separated the orders by shipper and determined how much wine we need to call.  We plan to charge the VISA and MC accounts on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. On Thursday, we'll make the run(s) to the warehouse and transport the wine and the shipping invoices and shipping summaries to the appropriate shippers. They'll then prepare your order for shipping the next Monday through Wednesday. If they miss that "early in the week window," then they'll wait until the next week's window. The shippers generally charge your credit cards for shipping, just prior to your order being shipped out.

At this point, the shippers we use are:

DDC Shipping, 877/332-0044, FAX 707/255-8230, email: ddcshipping@ureach.com. Web page: www.ddcshipping.com.  Chris or Megan will answer the phone.

Buffalo's Shipping Post 888/342-8332, FAX 707/226-1510, www.buffship.com. They primarily use UPS for ground shipping to the West Coast, and FedEx and independent curriors for the rest of the country. Usually Ernie will answer the phone and help you.  Sometimes, Buff himself will answer, or his wife, Joan.

Stagecoach Expressis operated by Sue Bailey, the proprietor.  Either she or Larry will answer the phone.  You can reach them at 707/257-1888, or 877/232-5054.  Their FAX is 707/257-1891, and their website is www.stagecoachexpress.com. They mostly ship UPS and do some FedEx.

55 Degrees 707/963-5513, FAX 707/963-5281. They store and ship based on your requests.  Neil Aldoroty is the proprietor and can be reached at neil@fiftyfivedegrees.com.

I generally wait until the end of the ordering season and then take their wine to them in a large batch.  However, I do take wine early when requested by you.

Napa Wine Lockers stores and ships wine.  Janine & Chuck Dickenson are the propietors.  You may also talk to Sheryl Tamietti.  You can reach them at 707/257-2903, or www.napawinelockers.com, or napawinelockers@earthlink.net.

Always Cool, in Santa Rosa, also stores and ships wine.  I either take wine over to them or they pick it up when they're in the Valley.

TRACKING NUMBERS will be emailed to you for most orders.  The emailed tracking numbers do not go through if your email address is outdated or your security system is at a higher setting.

You can call the major carriers at:

UPS 800/742-5877

FedEx 800/463-3339

DHL 800/225-5345

We advise that you have wine shipped to a business address. Shipping to a business address means that someone is there to sign for the wine and ensure that it is safely stored. The carriers generally charge higher rates for residential deliveries and even charge you an extra charge if your ship to address was thought to be a business address and turns out to be a residential address.

WILL CALL is available on a limited basis. We prefer that your wine be shipped as a first option.  Our host custom-crush facility has expanded and lacks space to meet our needs.  Also, we aren't available on weekends, which is when most of you want to do will call.  If it's absolutely necessary, we'll try to work out arrangements with one of the local wine shops.  When you pickup in California, you must pay California sales tax.  We'll try to arrange a Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM pick-up. If a mutual time cannot be arranged, then your wine will be left at The St. Helena Wine Center: 1321 Main St., St. Helena, CA 94574, 800/331-1311, www.shwc.com.

OFFERING LETTER POLICIES: Ordering wine via the annual Offering Letter, provides you with a discount over suggested retail.  When you purchase, three years in a row, you become a Select Customer, giving you another ten per cent discount over the mailing list discount. Customers do not have to purchase wine in order to stay on the main release mailing list. They can indicate this on the order form. Customers who have not purchased wine and have not indicated that they want to stay on the main release mailing list, for three years, will be taken off the active list.