Article originally posted by the Lexington Herald-Leader directed to:  http://www.kentucky.com/2008/12/17/628699/grocery-store-group-pushing-petitions.html

 

Grocery store group pushing petitions for easier wine sales

Herald-Leader Staff Report

A Kentucky grocers group has launched a petition drive as it seeks to change a state law so wine could be sold in grocery stores, a change some liquor retailers say is a bad idea.

Currently, in Kentucky counties where alcohol sales are allowed, beer but not wine or spirits can be sold in grocery stores.

The Food with Wine Coalition will conduct the petition drive in 111 stores in 28 counties and on its Web site, www.foodwithwine.org/allowingwine.htm.

 

 

 

 

The Food with Wine Coalition is a not-for-profit organization established in 2007. Grocers involved in the petition drive include Kroger, Slone’s Signature Markets and IGA.

A bill to change the law died in committee during the most recent legislative session.

The coalition contends that allowing wine sales in groceries would benefit consumers, who they say want the option of buying wine for their meals, and Kentucky’s burgeoning wine industry. The group contends that such a change also would mean more tax revenue for the state.

“Consumers have been asking grocery store managers across Kentucky for the opportunity to purchase a bottle of wine to go with their meal. The coalition’s effort is in direct response to what our customers have been asking for,” said Luke Schmidt, a Louisville-based consultant retained by the Food with Wine Coalition.

Roger Leasor, president of Liquor Barn, a large liquor and wine retailer with stores in Louisville and Lexington, says one potential problem is grocery stores using employees who are minors to run the checkout counters.

“It should be adults selling it,” he said.

Grocery stores already can get a license to sell wine and liquor if they provide a separate entrance to that part of the store, where minors are not allowed to work. A store employee of legal age also is required on beer sales.

Danny Meyer of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Kentucky said that group is officially neutral on the potential change.

Earlier this year, Liquor Barn tried to stop stocking wines from Kentucky vineyards that supported a change in the law.

Leasor later reversed his position, saying he didn’t want to “fight with my neighbors.”

He said the change proposed by the coalition really isn’t about Kentucky wineries. “They want to make it about Kentucky wine, but it is not.”

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2008/12/17/628699/grocery-store-group-pushing-petitions.html#ixzz16xvKDIrf

Kentucky’s Grocers Launch Petition Drive to Support Wine Sales in Food Stores

Schmidt stated that consumer support for changing the law has been showing up in polls too.  Just recently, the Kentucky Enquirer conducted an online poll which indicated that 94% of respondents favor grocery store wine sales.

Article originally posted by The (Bowling Green) Daily News directed to: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=123FDB0D78364DF8&p_docnum=6&s_orderid=NB0110120215065928666&s_dlid=DL0110120215074328815&s_ecproduct=DOC&s_ecprodtype=&s_trackval=&s_siteloc=&s_referrer=&s_username=lbschmidt@lbschmidt.com&s_accountid=AC0109061001491619223&s_upgradeable=no

 

Allow wine sales at grocery stores in state
the Daily News

Published: October 22, 2008

It doesn’t make any sense why beer is sold in local grocery stores, but the sale of wine is prohibited.

In six of the seven states that border Kentucky, shoppers can purchase wine in grocery stores. We don’t see why that can’t take place in Kentucky.

 

Kroger and Bowling Green-based Houchens Industries are pushing to make wine sales legal in groceries here – something state law currently prohibits.

 

But why? Beer and wine have virtually the same alcohol content, so what’s the difference between selling wine and beer in the same location?

 

The Food With Wine Coalition is seeking to change the law to allow such sales in areas that are already “wet” or “moist” – in this region, that would only allow sales in Bowling Green and Russellville.

 

About 400 to 500 stores in Kentucky would be eligible to sell wine if the law is changed. Currently, some grocers such as Kroger can sell liquor and wine, but they have to build a separate building next to the grocery store to do it. This not only is a inconvenience for the costumer, but also a costly project for Kroger to undertake.

 

Changing the law would add a convenience factor to patrons who frequent Houchens and Kroger stores.

Allowing wine to be sold in stores would also increase wine sales all around – helping Kentucky wineries and bringing in more tax revenue. Luke Schmidt, lobbyist for the coalition, said that statewide the change could produce $55 million in new state new tax revenue – without raising rates – between 2009 and 2013.

 

It should be noted that the campaign isn’t aimed at selling alcohol where it’s now prohibited, selling hard liquor in grocery stores or allowing Sunday alcohol sales.

 

There are many good reasons for the sale of wine in grocery stores in this state and we hope that when legislators convene in January for the next session, they will consider these reasons and overturn this outdated law.

Article originally posted by the Cincinnati Enquirer directed to: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog16&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a83aea494-326d-4fa2-b9bd-a7c79549d035Post%3ac1039094-cd39-4d7c-9983-55e777c7ee9d&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com

 

 

Supermarket wine a vintage debate

 

Posted by DennisHetzelat 10/20/2008 10:12 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

Imagine the owner of a small clothing store asking the Legislature to make it impossible for Macy’s to sell clothes, or the owner of the small used-car lot asking for special legislation to keep the new-car dealer from selling used cars. While we can all be sympathetic about the David vs. Goliath nature of such battles, it would be absurd to ask government to get involved.

The nature of alcoholic beverages, though, changes the picture. Such is the case in Kentucky as liquor-store interests are trying to block legislative efforts that would allow supermarkets to sell winealongside beer in counties that allow alcoholic beverage sales.

The wine and spirit wholesalers and liquor store owners offer expected arguments. They talk about it being easier to buy booze in more outlets, exposing children to temptation. Now, there is something disingenuous about liquor interests as the guardians of keeping alcohol from children, so let’s set that argument aside. Why would the supermarket be any less diligent than the corner store? And there is no evidence that links grocery-store wine sales to greater problems in any of the majority of states that allow it.

The argument for expansion grows stronger when you consider an emerging success story in Kentucky agriculture. Did you know there already are about 50 operating wineries in Kentucky? Grapes represent a potential replacement for tobacco in parts of the state, including Northern Kentucky. Some of the state’s wineries already are overcoming stereotypes wine buffs might have about “Kentucky wine.” Expanded sales could put about $50 million a year into the coffers of cash-strapped state government. Meanwhile, the liquor stores will continue to be the only source of hard-liquor products.

I’m not suggesting “anything goes” with booze. It certainly feels like bad policy to allow hard liquor in supermarkets. But the arguments in favor of allowing wine alongside beer seem quite strong. Where would you draw the line?

More than anything, the opponents fear a loss of sales at liquor stores. It’s an understandable fear, but not a good enough reason for a government-protected monopoly. And I suspect many stores will find very effective ways to compete.

Article originally posted by The (Bowling Green) Daily News directed to:http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2008/10/19/news/news4.txt

 

Grocers looking to put wine in aisles
Kroger, Houchens among those pushing for change to state law

By JIM GAINES, The Daily News, jgaines@bgdailynews.com
Saturday, October 18, 2008 11:55 PM CDT

In six of the seven states that border Kentucky, shoppers can pick up a bottle of wine to accompany dinner without leaving the grocery store. Now a coalition of grocery chains, including Kroger and Bowling Green-based Houchens Industries, wants to make that legal here, too.

About 400 to 500 stores in Kentucky would be eligible to sell wine, according to Luke Schmidt, lobbyist for the Food With Wine Coalition. The group seeks a change in state law to allow such sales in areas that are already “wet” or “moist” – in this region, that would only allow sales in Bowling Green.

Schmidt said the campaign isn’t aimed at selling alcohol where it’s now prohibited, selling hard liquor in grocery stores, or allowing Sunday sales; groceries just want to sell wine as they do beer, without setting up a separate building for the product.

That adds a convenience factor for customers, which should increase wine sales in general – helping Kentucky wineries and bringing in more tax revenue, said Stephen Reed, director of retail operations for Houchens.

“Food and wine are really more connected than even food and beer, which is already allowed,” he said.

Far from all of Houchens’ stores would be affected, Reed said.

“It does not include convenience stores,” he said. “It would include our Crossroads stores that are smaller-box but still full-line grocery stores.”

There are about 100 such stores – but only 10 percent to 15 percent of those would sell wine, since the rest aren’t in “wet” areas, Reed said. He’s not sure how many of the company’s stores would be affected overall, since many of them are not in Kentucky; and wine would not be sold in Save-A-Lot or Food Giant stores Houchens owns, Reed said.

Schmidt acknowledged that liquor stores oppose the change, but said they should see some benefit, too, from greater wine consumption in general. Groceries wouldn’t likely carry high-priced or specialty wines, which would remain exclusively available at liquor stores, Schmidt said.

Tristan Evans, manager of Chuck’s Liquor Outlet on Louisville Road, said alcohol retailers aren’t entirely happy about having a competitor for wine sales, but acknowledged there might be some small upsides for the wine market – “There’s logic both ways,” he said.

More concerning to Evans are regulations that create a potential double standard.

For instance, spirits have to make up 90 percent of each liquor store’s sales in Bowling Green, while local grocery stores wouldn’t be held to the same rules, Evans said.

“If they’re selling wine, it’s probably going to be less than one-half of 1 percent of their product,” he said.

Schmidt said allowing wine sales in groceries would promote Kentucky wineries, a growing industry. In 2007, there were vineyards in 84 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, including Simpson, according to information from the coalition.

Reed said Houchens has no estimates of how wine might increase the company’s sales or what tax revenues it might generate; but Schmidt said that statewide the change could produce $55 million in new state tax revenue – without raising rates – between 2009 and 2013.

Of Kentucky’s border states, only Tennessee doesn’t allow wine sales in grocery stores, though there’s now a push there, too, Schmidt said.

Reed, one of the planners of the legislative effort, said store owners are still talking about how to best approach the General Assembly.

House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Louisville, prefiled a bill in the Spring 2008 session to allow wine sales in groceries, but it never got out of the Licensing & Occupations Committee. House Bill 585 would have allowed wine sales in stores which occupied at least 10,000 square feet and had a minimum inventory of $20,000 in meat, produce, dairy and frozen products, subject to a $500 license fee.

Brian Wilkerson, spokesman for House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, said legislators have been discussing the idea in general terms this fall, but knew of no bill ready for filing.

On Friday, Clark’s office relayed a statement from Scott Jones, his chief of staff, saying he would not comment on the issue at this time, or on whether HB 585 might be re-filed.

Article originally posted by the WBKO-TV Web site directed to: http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/30718344.html

 

 

Group Works to Get Wine on Grocery Store Shelves A consultant with the Food with Wine Coalition tells us they’re a non-profit organization representing a number of large retailers including Houchens. Thursday, one representative of the group spoke to WBKO about their goal. Posted: 9:00 PM Oct 9, 2008 Reporter: Forrest Sanders Email Address: forrest.sanders@wbko.com

A consultant with the Food with Wine Coalition tells us they’re a non-profit organizationrepresenting a number of large retailers including Houchens. Thursday, one representative of the group spoke to WBKO about their goal.

Bowling Green resident Wanda Baize has traveled to Sumner Crest Winery in Portland for an afternoon wine tasting.

Thursday, the discussion at the bar is whether an existing law should be changed to allow wine on food store shelves in Wanda’s home state.

“Well, I think that’s okay in case someone just wants to get a bottle, knowing what they want,” Wanda says. “But then they miss the specialness of a winery.”

Like Wanda, the Food with Wine Coalition wants the option available to Kentucky residents.

“We project over the first five years, after the law has been changed, the state will see $55-million dollars in new incremental revenue just through the sale of wine,” Food with Wine Coalition Consultant Luke Schmidt explains. “That’s without increasing existing taxrates.”

According to Schmidt, the main opposition to changing the existing law are liquor stores.

“The liquor stores and distributors are the middle man concerned about pricingand money,” says Jimmie Jacobs, wine consultant for Sumner Crest Winery. “We want to offer the product that’s grown locally to people at a reasonable price where we all benefit.”

“I don’t have a problem with how many people do it, but it’s not competitive,” says Airport Liquors Owner Eric Wheeler. “The Kroger’s, the Sam’s, the Wal-Marts, they have the pockets. They have the deep pockets, which means they can sell cheaper. They can give big discounts for buying big volume. Therefore, they can sell it cheaper, and that stamps out the middle man, the small guy.”

Still, Schmidt says he expects liquor store business will continue with wine sales increasing all-around.

“We know for a fact, as everyone does, the state is looking for every new dollar they can find,” Schmidt concludes. “This is a great way to find $55-million dollars.”

Schmidt also tells WBKO, in the event the law is changed, it will only impact wet or moist counties. Dry counties would stay the same.