Former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe is urging Massachusetts lawmakers to end a ban on direct wine shipments to consumers.

Bledsoe, who now operates a winery in Washington state, said Thursday the prohibition on direct wine shipments has prevented him from selling bottles of his wine to fans in the Bay State.

A bill filed by state Rep. Ted Speliotis (Spel-ee-OH'-tis), D-Danvers, and House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, would allow licensed out-of-state wine producers and distributors to ship to consumers. Massachusetts is among a handful of states that ban direct shipments.

Bledsoe says he hopes his presence at the Statehouse will help "make some noise" on behalf of the legislation.

Bledsoe, who also played for the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys, opened the winery in 2007 after retiring from the NFL.