A statewide coalition of grocery stores will again seek state approval to sell wine, and it hopes new lobbying efforts help sway legislators’ minds.

Article originally posted by the (Northern Kentucky) Kentucky Enquirer directed to: https://secure.pqarchiver.com/enquirer/access/1871745501.html?FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+5%2C+2009&author=Amanda+Van+Benschoten&pub=Cincinnati+Enquirer&edition=&startpage=n%2Fa&desc=Stores+try+again+to+win+wine+sales

By Amanda Van Benschoten

A statewide coalition of grocery stores will again seek state approval to sell wine, and it hopes new lobbying efforts help sway legislators’ minds.

The Food with Wine Coalition has backed the issue since 2007, with little success.

Kentucky is among 16 states that ban the sale of wine in grocery stores. Neighboring Indiana and Ohio allow it.

“It’s an antiquated law, and it’s time to change it,” said coalition spokesman Luke Schmidt. “It’s time for Kentucky to step up and be more progressive in the way that it approaches this.”

The coalition has launched an online petition drive in advance of the legislative session that begins in January.

Through Thanksgiving, customers age 21 and over in more than 100 grocery stores across the state will be asked to visit the group’s Web site and sign the petition. That generates a form letter, which is sent to the individual’s state representative and senator.

It’s a more targeted approach than the group’s in-store petition drive last year, when more than 56,000 people signed it.

The coalition says unscientific polls by media outlets show more than 90 percent of voters support selling wine in grocery stores, but the measure has not yet gained any traction in the legislature.

House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Louisville, filed a bill in 2008 that never made it out of committee.

Through a spokeswoman, Clark said he would support a measure that provides floor space to promote and sell Kentucky-made wine.

Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, sought to file a bill again last spring, but couldn’t get Democratic support.

The coalition’s goal in 2010 is to at least get a hearing in the House. For that to happen, the measure will need the support of Democratic leaders.

“I hope it gets somewhere, because it’s an opportunity to raise money without raising taxes – and we need to take as many of those opportunities as we can find in this economic climate,” Koenig said.

The coalition says selling wine in the stores would raise $83.5 million in new tax revenue over five years.

And, Schmidt said, it would aid the state’s growing wine industry by creating between 300 and 400 new sales outlets for Kentucky-made wine.

Erlanger-based Remke Markets already carries about 200 Kentucky-made products in its seven stores, and it plans to stock Kentucky-made wine if the measure is approved.

Tom Litzler, director of business and government relations for Remke, said wine is, by far, the most-requested item by customers.

“If you’re allowed to sell beer, we don’t see any logic to why you’re not allowed to sell wine,” he said. “It’s because of a law that goes back to the days of Prohibition.”

The liquor store industry has opposed the bill, but supporters believe more competition will help, not hurt, the industry and customers.

“This is pro-consumer, any way you look at it. It expands choice in the marketplace, and it expands competition. And we believe that competition is good for the overall marketplace,” Schmidt said.

The owners of Party Source and Cork & Bottle, Northern Kentucky’s largest liquor stores, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The coalition’s proposal – and its lobbying efforts – only affect “wet” counties, or those that allow alcohol sales.

“Legislators, in our view, can feel comfortable in passing this bill, knowing that it’s not going to alter the lifestyle in a dry county, but the dry county will clearly benefit from the revenue flow,” Schmidt said.

The group’s Web site is foodwithwine.org.

A group of Kentucky grocers is surging forward with its effort to bring wine to shelves in grocery stores by early next year. The Food with Wine Coalition launched an online petition last month and is hoping to introduce a bill to the General Assembly in January that would allow the sale of wine in all the state’s grocery stores. The legislation would only affect counties where alcohol is already sold.

A group of Kentucky grocers is surging forward with its effort to bring wine to shelves in grocery stores by early next year.

The Food with Wine Coalition launched an online petition last month and is hoping to introduce a bill to the General Assembly in January that would allow the sale of wine in all the state’s grocery stores. The legislation would only affect counties where alcohol is already sold.

“We fully respect people’s decision to drink or not to drink, that’s not what this is about,” said Luke Schmidt, president of L.B. Schmidt & Associates, which is representing the Coalition. “It’s about making the sale of wine more competitive.”

Wine is now the second fastest growing product category in food stores behind bottled water, according to a news release from the Food with Wine Coalition. The group has received support from the Kentucky Grocers Association and 56,000 signatures were collected on a petition in 2007.

Kentucky is one of just 16 states in the nation that doesn’t allow the sale of wine in grocery stores. Information provided to the General Assembly two years ago show the planted acreage at vineyards across the state increased from 68 acres in 1999 to 706 in 2007. The number of wineries also grew from five to 44 over the same time period.

The Coalition estimates state wine sales would grow by nearly 6 percent and at least $38.5 million in tax revenue would be generated — similar to figures in other states that approved wine sales.

Schmidt said the legislation also could have a significant impact on the revenue during the FEI World Equestrian Games, which will be held in Lexington next year. The group is expecting around 700,000 visitors from around the world during the two-week event.

Kevin Hoffman can be reached at 270-887-3240 or khoffman@kentuckynewera.com.

A coalition of grocers and producers has formed to change state statutes to allow sales of wine in Kentucky grocery stores. Luke B. Schmidt represents the Food with Wine Coalition.

Wandering through the grocery store, you pick up your steak and your potatoes, your sour cream and your seasonings. Now all you need is that special bottle of wine to make it all complete.

ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) — In 34 states, including West Virginia, grocery store wine sales are the norm. In Kentucky, however, it’s the exception.

Article originally posted by the WSAZ-TV (Huntington/Ashland) Web site with accompanying video news story directed to:http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/62995612.html

ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) — In 34 states, including West Virginia, grocery store wine sales are the norm. In Kentucky, however, it’s the exception.

Now, the industry push is fully uncorked to allow Bluegrass State grocery stores to sell wine. WSAZ.com’s Randy Yohe looked inside this issue, explaining what it will take — and what stores say all will gain — by selling wine with food.

At the Krogergrocery store location in Barboursville, W.Va., store managers say their expansive well-maintained wine department is a driving force in food sales. Shoppers such as Randy Wilson say — like a good restaurant — it makes sense to buy wine with your food.

“I buy wine for my meals,” he said. “It’s just like buying milk.”

But at the Kroger store in Ashland there’s a big sign next to the beer aisle asking rhetorically, “Where’s the wine?” Kentucky’s food store industry has formed the Food and Wine Coalition, a nonprofit lobby group urging Kentuckians to go online and petition their state representatives to allow wine sales in grocery stores.

According to Luke Schmidt with the Food and Wine Coalition, the issue would have to be passed by the state General Assembly since Kentucky has no voter referendum option.

At the Ashland Kroger, managers say people — mostly out-of-town residents — are always asking, “Where’s the wine?”

“It would be a win-win,” assistant store manager Jeff Johnson said. “We would gain profits, and customers would have more choices to buy wine.”

Coalition officials say the benefits would be bountiful — first, that wine with groceries would expand consumer choices in the marketplace and compete with liquor stores that have had a monopoly since prohibition.

Secondly, the commonwealth would collect more taxes — the coalition estimates $84 million in five years. Third, the added products would promote the growing Kentucky wine industry.

The coalition says the law would only take effect in already wet communities; dry areas would stay dry. The coalition also says wine is the second fastest growing product category — after bottled water — being sold in American food stores.

Ashland — Grocers make a point of knowing what their customers want to buy and are hoping state lawmakers will help them respond to people who want a glass of wine with their dinner.

Article originally posted by the Ashland Daily Independent directed to: http://dailyindependent.com/local/x546117517/Grocers-seek-wine-option

Grocers seek wine option

Spokesman: State lawmakers are expected to take up issue next year

Ashland — Grocers make a point of knowing what their customers want to buy and are hoping state lawmakers will help them respond to people who want a glass of wine with their dinner.

“The grocery industry decided it is time to push this forward,” said Luke Schmidt, a spokesman for the Food With Wine Coalition. The coalition is a nonprofit agency formed by Kentucky’s grocers to seek a change in state law allowing grocery stores to sell wine, instead of limiting wine to the shelves of liquor stores.

“There are three reasons why this is compelling,” he said, explaining the idea would benefit consumers and promote competition, increase state tax revenues without enacting any new taxes, and lend support to Kentucky’s emerging wine industry as well as farmers who’ve switched from tobacco to grapes as an alternate cash crop.

State legislators weren’t able to discuss the proposal during their most recent short session in Frankfort, Schmidt said, although they are expected to study the idea in January.

In the meantime, the state’s grocers are urging consumers to let their state representatives know what they want. Store displays will guide wine lovers to a Web site where they are asked to take roughly 30 seconds to complete a petition and generate a letter to the appropriate elected officials.

“We’ve only been promoting it for about two weeks and it has already generated several thousand letters,” Schmidt said.

The coalition proposal would not have any effect on “dry” counties, Schmidt stressed, and would leave the sale of wine at grocery stores in the hands of store managers and owners.

“This does not mandate they sell wine. This is not a mandatory thing at all,” he said. “But we believe most will want to supply their customers with what they have been asking for.”

The coalition has provided information about the effort to Ashland area grocery stores, including Kroger, with displays that ask, “Where’s the wine?” and detailed information at checkout counters.

The idea does have some enemies, Schmidt said.

“The only opposition we know of is from liquor stores. They’ll tell you we are going to put them out of business,” Schmidt said, adding the proposal “is not a prelude to distilled spirits in grocery stores.”

Schmidt asks consumers who support the sale of wine at grocery stores to visit foodwithwine.org and click on the “Sign the Petition” link. The coalition is also represented on social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.

ASHLAND, KY — The Food and Wine Coalition is pushing for wine to be sold in grocery stores in Kentucky.

Members of the coalition gathered in Ashland Tuesday to announce the launching of an online petition. They want to change the existing state law to allow grocery stores to sell wine in counties that also allow the sale of alcoholic beverages by the package.

Could you soon see wine in Kentucky grocery stores? Currently, only beer is available at your local supermarket but one group is hoping that legislators will pass a new law. You can currently buy wine in grocery stores in West Virginia and Ohio.

Reported by: Steve Borecky
Videographer: Jarod Herrell
Web Producer: Steve Borecky
Updated: September 29, 2009 5:06pm

Could you soon see wine in Kentucky grocery stores?

Currently, only beer is available at your local supermarket but one group is hoping that legislators will pass a new law. You can currently buy wine in grocery stores in West Virginia and Ohio.

The state’s Wine with Food Coalition says it would generate an additional $84 million in revenue without raising taxes.

The bill would not change current alcohol laws and would not put the alcohol on store shelves in dry counties.

Many in the Bluegrass State think its a good idea and say it’s an inconvenince not being able to buy it now at the supermarket. “It truly is to have to make a stop at another store, especially when picking up beer for your husband and you want a bottle of wine and have to go to another store,” commented Paulette York of Boyd County.

For more information and to sign a petition, log on to winewithfood.org.

Kentucky has a litany of laws regulating how alcohol is sold and consumed, as it should. It’s right for the state to bar people from carrying loaded firearms in establishments where liquor is sold by the drink.