Wine sales in Grocery Stores?

Wondering if anyone else noticed this in today's paper...a bill being presented to allow wine sales in grocery stores. C-J link below:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080302/NEWS0101/80302015/

I'm curious what people think about this. I might drop by the Kroger on Bardstown Rd tomorrow for the press conference - it's around the corner, and it might be interesting. I'm not surprised that it's not allowed currently, but have always been disappointed. (Kentucky seems to have some very random liquor laws). Living in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida it was always allowed - in fact, you could get some pretty decent wines at the 7-11 (Ironic, I know).

Thoughts?

You can buy wine in Indiana grocery stores. Really, wouldn't it save gas, rather than needing to drive store to store?

but, you can't buy cold beer in Indiana groceries or convenience stores?
cold wine can be sold at convenience stores in IN

liquor laws are antiquated and ridiculous everywhere in the US

if this law passes though, it makes the addition of "wine shops" to stores like whole foods pointless

While we're at it let's get rid of the archaic law that prohibits people from having wine shipped directly to their homes from wineries out of state! Kentucky is one of only two states (the other is Florida) where it's a felony. Of course no one had ever been prosecuted for it nor has any money ever been allocated for enforcement. Many states have struck down similar laws in recent years so maybe Kentucky can update all their ABC laws while they're at it. Maybe even consider dropping the drinking age back down to 18 like several other states are considering since recent data shows it hasn't done anything to reduce teenage drinking.

I'd heard a rumor that this particular liquor law was one of the major barriers to keeping a Trader Joe's from coming to town. If selling wine in grocery stores facilitates a Trader Joe's coming to Louisville then I'm all for it, post haste. I also think it's a little silly that you can buy wine at the drug store but not the grocery store.

When i was last visiting family in Michigan, i ran to the gas station just around the corner from my grandmother's house to pick up some beer...
alas... there was none.

When we were visiting my roommate's dad and half-brother in Detroit - his brother said to their dad: "where's the nearest beer store?"
...which was when i made the realization.

Turns out no alcohol is sold in places which also sell gasoline.
I guess in all logic it makes sense, being that it directly curbs motorists from buying booze while on the road.

Yet convenience stores (7-11, etc) that don't sell gas (but are otherwise have the same type inventories as gas stations), sell everything from beer, wine to liquor.

Grocery stores carry wine on the shelves, and oftentimes have liquor aisles as well.


It's like a trade up in convenience for inconvenience.


In the end,I had to add an extra 20 minutes travel time to a combo convenience store/laundry mat (the nearest place) to get a 6-pack.

I think that our wine & liquor shops ought to just sell more food.

Obviously, my opinion is skewed, since I own a liquor store, but typically, its not that big a deal to have wine in grocery stores. There are exceptions to this, but most of them carry mainly lower end wines, with no help to be had from anyone that works in the store. It is a convienence factor having those products there, but if you are looking for variety and knowledge, you simply won't find that in a grocery store.

I lived in Rochester NY for 35 years and I have to say, it's great to be back in the enlightened state of Kentucky! In New York, liquor stores are open from 9 to 9. That's it. It was only three years ago they allowed Sunday sales - but if you open on Sunday, you have to close another day. If you have a party and run out of a wine after 9, tough luck. And liquor stores can't sell beer. "Beer on whiskey, mighty risky..." As a matter of fact, they can't sell anything else - no food, no products. It was just a few years ago they allowed the sale of corkscrews. You heard me: corkscrews

Of course, you can't buy wine or liquor any place except liquor stores. When friends from NY visit and see Maker's and merlot in a drug store, they freak. We had some friends here recently and had a great wine at L & N. They couldn't believe we could run into Old Towne at 11 pm, after our dinner, and buy another bottle. Those poor culturally deprived New Yorkers.

As for sales of wine in grocery stores, well, it will be nice to know it's there, but with all the great wine shops around us here in St Matthews, I doubt we'll be using the opportunity much.

"A proposed bill to allow wine sales in Kentucky grocery stores appeared to be dead yesterday after a key House lawmaker said she didn’t plan to bring the legislation to a vote."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/BUSINESS/80303043/

Sorry to hear this was a short-lived effort - perhaps it can be revisited in the future.

[Robin Garr]

Sorry to hear this was a short-lived effort - perhaps it can be revisited in the future.

It would be nice, but as usual in these cases, the principle "follow the money" applies. The mass-market beer distribution lobby hates this concept, and the state's larger liquor stores aren't all that excited about it either. The beer folks, mostly, bring deep pockets to the party, and it's awfully hard to get their pet legislators to go against them.

(Same story with Internet and mail-order wine sales direct to the public, by the way. The wine/liquor distributors are adamant against it, and they've probably got even deeper pocket than the beer distributors do.)

I lived in Rochester NY for 35 years and I have to say, it's great to be back in the enlightened state of Kentucky! In New York, liquor stores are open from 9 to 9. That's it. It was only three years ago they allowed Sunday sales - but if you open on Sunday, you have to close another day. If you have a party and run out of a wine after 9, tough luck. And liquor stores can't sell beer. "Beer on whiskey, mighty risky..." As a matter of fact, they can't sell anything else - no food, no products. It was just a few years ago they allowed the sale of corkscrews. You heard me: corkscrews

Of course, you can't buy wine or liquor any place except liquor stores. When friends from NY visit and see Maker's and merlot in a drug store, they freak. We had some friends here recently and had a great wine at L & N. They couldn't believe we could run into Old Towne at 11 pm, after our dinner, and buy another bottle. Those poor culturally deprived New Yorkers.

As for sales of wine in grocery stores, well, it will be nice to know it's there, but with all the great wine shops around us here in St Matthews, I doubt we'll be using the opportunity much.

Ken, I'm also some Rochester and you forgot one of the other interesting weird liquor laws. The one that states liquor stores can't be open while the polls are open on election day! Must be they figured votes could be bought at liquor stores?

Of course while New York has some unusual laws regarding liquor stores, the laws regarding bars are quite lenient. When I lived in South Carolina they had a law that required all drinks in a bar to be made using mini bottles (like those used in airplanes)! The purpose supposedly was to ensure that everyone got a fair "POUR" but all it did was make drinks cost more and limit the availability of many liquors since many top shelf brands are not made in mini bottles.

I've heard about that insane mini-bottle law! I think they did a piece on it on the Daily Show. Folks just get crazy when it comes to alcohol. They gotta do something, so they bring in the politicians and lawyers...

When I lived in South Carolina they had a law that required all drinks in a bar to be made using mini bottles (like those used in airplanes)! The purpose supposedly was to ensure that everyone got a fair "POUR" but all it did was make drinks cost more and limit the availability of many liquors since many top shelf brands are not made in mini bottles.

Mark, I lived in SC, too. The mini bottle law also made the drinks STRONGER! It was really weird when you ordered a drink with two or more alcoholic products in it. They had to open mini bottles of each product. If the ratios were such that you didn't use all of a mini bottle they would hold the unused product for you until you ordered a second drink, which, of course, encouraged you to drink more. Amazing.

The mini bottle law has been abolished.

...most of them carry mainly lower end wines, with no help to be had from anyone that works in the store. It is a convienence factor having those products there, but if you are looking for variety and knowledge, you simply won't find that in a grocery store.

Right on, Todd, and exactly the reasons I will continue buying wines at my favorite haunts.