Within an hour's drive of Maryland are a pair of vending machines that dispense wine. They are believed to be the first of their kind in the country and, according to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board officials, the two kiosks located in Harrisburg-area supermarkets have proved to be a smashing success since their June debut.

In other words, a state that has long had liquor laws even more arcane than Maryland's (hard liquor in Pennsylvania is available by the bottle only in state-run stores, while beer distributors can only sell kegs and cases) has chosen to make wine more available to its citizens. Meanwhile, Maryland remains one of the minority of states in this country that ban direct shipment of wine.

This summer, a panel appointed by the Maryland General Assembly with help from the state comptroller's office is studying the wine-shipping issue. Liquor wholesalers and distributors have long opposed changing the law because it would threaten their monopoly.

A majority of lawmakers favor allowing wineries to ship to people's homes. It would not only benefit wine enthusiasts who face a limited selection in Maryland stores but would help Maryland wineries, too, as other states only allow shipping if there is reciprocity.

But the liquor industry is a powerful force in Annapolis, and key lawmakers in the House of Delegates and Senate stand in the way. Arguments against the move are mostly spurious — concerns over uncollected taxes or underage drinking that have simply not been a problem elsewhere — but they've been enough to provide a wholesome-sounding cover for opponents.

The reality is that Maryland's three-tiered liquor system is badly in need of reform. And the most important voices that the study commission needs to listen to are those of Marylanders who drink wine. An estimated 85 percent of the wine produced in this country can't be found on any Maryland store shelf.

Experience tells us that teens don't buy wine by mail, as documented by the 37 states where direct shipment is allowed. Deliveries of wine must be signed by the person who ordered them and ID presented verifying age. That's a tougher standard than the spot checks of retailers. And the legislature's own independent analysis has shown wine shipment is going to increase tax collections, not reduce them.

Should we care that the rest of the country regards Maryland as a provincial state held hostage by the middle men of the liquor industry? Maybe not. But at least lawmakers should hear from people like Mark Emon of St. Michaels Winery, who reports having to turn away customers on a regular basis because he can't ship to their homes.

Pennsylvania's wine vending machines are kind of cool. (The machines require a potential buyer to swipe his or her driver's license, look into a camera and blow into a breath sensor.) But they only carry 53 varieties. Direct shipment may lack the gee-whiz gadget factor, but it's eminently more practical. Thousands of varieties of wine beckon for tasting and sale if lawmakers can finally be convinced to drag the state's Prohibition-era laws into the Internet age.