Rep. Joni Jenkins (D-Louisville, Has a Backbone) is doing the right thing with the issue of allowing grocery stores to sell wine and has killed it in committee.
The silly legislation put forth by Larry Clark (D-Sometimes, Steve Henry Apologist, stuck up the butts of alcohol wholesalers) would allow grocery stores like Kroger to stock wine on their shelves without operating a separate (but attached) wine shop.
FRANKFORT – Legislation that would allow grocery stores to sell wine is stalled in committee and may die without a vote.
Rep. Joni Jenkins, D-Louisville, chairwoman of the House Licensing and Occupations Committee, told The Louisville Courier-Journal that she does not plan to call the bill for a vote because it was filed too late in the session. She did not elaborate.
Selling wine in grocery stores may raise a few tax dollars but it has the potential to kill off independent wine retailers around the state and could further bury our local producers in favor of mass-marketed crap.
For real, y’all. I know this is Kentucky and all. And I know that wine is sold on the shelves of Walgreen’s and CVS or whatever. But are we so classless that we want to sell wine at Kroger? Really? Maybe it’s our ivory tower liberalism and refined palate, but there’s just something about picking up a bottle of Pecota at The Wine Rack or Gemelli where people actually know wines.
Getting it at Kroger? That’s just so… ugh. Can’t we at least try to maintain the pseudo-southern reputation we have in the Bluegrass for being tasteful and well-mannered?
30 responses so far ↓
1 flubby // Mar 4, 2008 at 6:17 pm
“Maybe it’s our ivory tower liberalism and refined palate, but there’s just something about picking up a bottle of Pecota at The Wine Rack or Gemelli where people actually know wines.”
that would be a a 2008 vintage of misplaced elitism, if I’m not mistaken… some of us would just like to make one less stop on the the way home
2 Jake // Mar 4, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Yeah, it’d be so nice to pick up a box of Franzia at Kroger.
3 Rose // Mar 4, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Omg…I just picked up a bottle of Buffalo Trace at CVS and felt like the biggest skank ever. But I was a skank privately…ie…nobody saw me. However, if I pick my poison up at Kroger…that is a MUCH more public experience. If I pick my poison up at Liquor Barn…it’s public…but everybody else is getting poisoned, too.
Granted…this is a sad argument. But I don’t want little kids (or the AARP crowd) seeing me load my cart up with devil water…
I agree with you Jake! Keep liquor where only true, elitist alcoholics who understand each other congregate.
On a separate note…I damn near killed myself in an unfortunate fall tonight. Thank God the CVS was open for business so I could dull the pain…and thank God I could walk in with only one shoe on and a mascara-stained, tear-streaked face! Couldn’t have done that a Kroger!
4 Rose // Mar 4, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I meant “at Kroger.” What the hell is wrong with me lately that I can’t speak the Queen’s English?
5 jake // Mar 4, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Exactly! Like I *really* want my grandmotherly neighbor to see me jonesin’ for some Gallo of Sonoma (NOT Gallo) chard… or jonesin’ for an entire cart of it.
I want to be able to go to, oh, at least a Liquor Barn location where I can find out how truly oak-y something may taste. It’s also kind of a necessity to have someone who KNOWS wine when I’m looking for something with a little black currant and cedar-y to go with my snobby, elitist eggplant parmesan. MMMmmm.
6 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 4, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Jake, you’re usually spot on, but I think you’re missing something here.
This is a matter of convenience to many who enjoy wine, and don’t like having to make a separate trip to purchase it. Many people drink wine with their meals, so why not purchase it with their food? And why do Hoosiers get to do something Kentuckians can’t?
Further, having wine near groceries will encourage more people to try wine. Even if groceries will largely carry the major brands, getting more people interested in wine will naturally lead many to eventually seek the local and specialty brands. I doubt the independent sellers would ultimately feel too much of a pinch — they can still sell all liquor except wine and beer, and they can concentrate in specialty wines and beers.
Burger’s Market and Lotsa Patsa can coexist with Kroger, and so can the liquor stores.
7 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 4, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Meant to say “…having wine in groceries…”
8 jake // Mar 4, 2008 at 10:07 pm
The people who buy wine at grocery stores aren’t buying wine because it tastes good… they’re buying it to get drunk. Same for beer.
Take a look in the beer cooler at Kroger next time you’re there. It’s all cheap piss water stuff– even in uppity neighborhoods.
In other states where wine can be purchased in grocery stores it’s all the same… the cheap crap you can already get at CVS or where ever. Doesn’t encourage anything but the addiction to cheap alcohol.
And… Lotsa Pasta and Burger’s are specialty stores. Goodies you can’t get at a mega mart. Like pickled walnuts and high-end boursin.
9 Anonymous // Mar 4, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I don’t care how y’all spin this, this is elitist nonsense.
10 peggy // Mar 4, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Jake, I’m with you and hats off to Mrs. Jenkins for being a real committee chairman and not caving in to being bullied. Alcohol needs to be regulated and having it in a package store setting with experienced alcohol clerks is the right way to go. Sure it may be a little more inconvenient that pushing your cart filled with frozen foods and paper towels up the aisle, but sometimes we need to put up with a little inconvenience to do what is right, especially to protect kids from themselves. How easy would it be to shoplift a bottle of wine compared to the difficulty of lifting a six-pack of beer? Grocery stores just need to keep doing what they have already done and open the separate area and follow the same rules as package stores with experienced workers. Go Jenkins!
11 tom // Mar 4, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Big corporations like Wal-Mart, Cosco and Kroger have already put small grocery stores out of business. We need to stick up for the small liquor store owners in this battle against big out of state corporations . Their profits stay in this state and Wal-Mart sure can’t say the same. I’m for small business even if it means a little inconvenience for me. I just can’t stand to see more small businesses vacant thanks to corporate giants like Wal-Mart and Kroger. Sounds like someone taught Rep. Jenkins how to be a leader.
12 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 4, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I’m for small independent businesses too, and I reject the idea that this legislation would hurt them.
It expands the market for wine. This is good.
And Jake made my point when he said “And… Lotsa Pasta and Burger’s are specialty stores. Goodies you can’t get at a mega mart.” Exactly — the local and specialty wines will continue to be available at the smaller stores, and people who have good taste in wine (and in good beer) will go to these stores.
Also, I think it’s unfair to compare piss-water mass-market beer to the considerably much higher quality mass market wines, with decent brands such as Beringer likely being available in the groceries.
I think constituents who love wine will remember Ms. Jenkin’s obstructionism.
13 Tony // Mar 4, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Sorry Jake, you are wrong on this one. I’ve lived in other states and it’s just more convenient to buy a bottle of wine for dinner when you pick up everything else. Will they have every vintage bottle you may want, no. But they will have a nice selection for you to find something to match with your meal.
Kroger can already sell beer, I don’t see what’s so different about wine? Plus wine is classier, no one decides I’m going to binge drink and chug on wine like they do on beer.
14 Anonymous // Mar 5, 2008 at 12:35 am
I have just loved listening to his debate. I recently turned 21 and I and I can tell you that minors will love the convenience too. We hated it when laws were changed where minors couldn’t go into a liquor store anymore because I knew people (not me of course) that thought it was cool to lift a bottle of this or that for the night. Even with a good fake ID you didn’t risk going into a liquor store because you never know if the law is waiting for you to come out. Wow won’t this new “convenience” be great for them too. Nobody thinks twice about seeing a minor in a grocery store.
15 Joel // Mar 5, 2008 at 12:55 am
The charges of elitism up above are hilarious. This is just about expanding options for places to buy wine. Which isn’t elitism, exactly. And as noted above, plenty of other states allow wine sales in grocery stores. So why keep this antiquated law?
As far as the potential for grocery stores to take sales from small, independent liquor stores, I assure you that won’t be the case. Hell, there’s a lot of perfectly lousy liquor stores in Louisville with terrible wine selections (and beer, and liquor, and…). The good small shops will continue to kick ass, as usual (Old Town, among others).
16 Joel // Mar 5, 2008 at 12:59 am
Also two more points:
1. A better alternative to buying beer at Kroger’s? Go to Valu Market instead, their selection is pretty fantastic and affordable.
2. Wouldn’t the large liquor stores such as Party Barn and their ilk be more likely to be against this, and more importantly have the resources to lobby against it, than mom-and-pop liquor stores? And what’s the difference between a Party Mart and a Kroger’s anyway (except that the latter carries produce)?
17 Terri // Mar 5, 2008 at 8:11 am
The only thing worse than a wine snob is a beer snob. Winking Owl for everyone!
18 Anonymous // Mar 5, 2008 at 9:36 am
Joel, you misunderstand. The point I was making is that the opposition, as expressed here, is elitism.
19 jake // Mar 5, 2008 at 10:53 am
OMG. Berringer? OMG. omg. Seriously.
20 jake // Mar 5, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Additionally:
WLKY did a story last night that called Joni out for receiving funds from the beer lobby, totally discounting the fact that she’s returned alcohol money in the past. Though they mentioned Larry received wine money, they also neglected to mention that he’s woah up the butt of the alcohol lobby– a quick Google search even turns up photos of Larry giving a speech before the KBWA.
21 Joel // Mar 5, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I’m all for any politician who receives alcohol money. That usually means they don’t receive Southern Baptist money.
22 Emily // Mar 6, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Selling wine in grocery stores is not necessary. They already have the opportunity to sell wine and spirits as long as a separate entrance is used. Have we become so lazy that it is an inconvenience to walk though a separate entrance? It is usually right next door.
23 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 6, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Emily, yeah, let’s force grocery retailers to go to the extra unnecessary expense of constructing separate entrances to sell wine.
What’s the friggin’ point of that?
Just let them sell it next to the food!
24 jake // Mar 6, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Steve: You officially cannot comment on this particular issue because you had the notion to suggest Beringer is worthy of consumption.
Also, the consumption of local wines is not okay. It’s only acceptable to talk about local wines and to promote them when you have out-of-town guests. No one in their right mind would actually drink them unless nothing else is available at a social function which requires alcohol abuse in order to be cordial.
It’s like going to Huber’s in Southern Indiana. No one would actually drink that stuff unless they were stuck at Huber’s and couldn’t escape their crazy family’s day of pumpkin and berry picking without the aide of alcohol.
25 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 6, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Jake, I have not declared Beringer to be an upper-tier choice, you wine-snob! :) It’s just an acceptable choice for an average dinner for the average family. Most people don’t care about anything more than that.
And Huber’s makes fantastic wine. I would encourage everyone to visit their lovely wine shop in Starlight, Indiana. Many people actually buy their wines and take them home to enjoy.
26 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 6, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I would also encourage people to check out wines made in Brown County, Indiana. Some good stuff out that way.
27 Diana Duncan // Mar 7, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Okay, this is an interesting debate, but there are other aspects that have not been discussed. As I listen to the news, our wonderful polictians are arguing over how much to increase the tobaco tax. The increase revenue from the sale of wine would make a hefty contribution to the budget. A developed wine trail will add revenue because of tourism. Here is the most significate implication, Kentucky farmers were encouraged to plant grapes during the Patton years and now they are finally reaching maturity, who do you think will buy those grapes if there isn’t a market for Kentucky Wine. How much will the tax payers have to pay to supplement the farmers if they can’t sell their crop. Kentucky wineries are on the increase if there is not a market then this fine addition to agritrouism will not be able to survive. I understand the agruement of the mom and pop liquor store, but if liquor barn or party mart hasn’t put them out of business then selling wine in grocery store will probably have little impact. Did anyone stop Lowes or Home Depot from opening because they were afraid they would put the mom and pop hardware stores out of business?
28 » Joni Jenkins Is Breaking Into House Leadership! Hell Yes! What’s Required: Progress in the Commonwealth // May 29, 2008 at 11:24 am
[...] Larry Clark supported alcohol wholesalers and then pretended it wasn’t because he takes tons of money from them [March 4] [...]
29 Penny // Feb 27, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Is this Jake person for real? Maybe he should clue in to the fact that he doesn’t have the privilege of dictating other people’s taste. What a joke.
30 jake // Feb 27, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Oh, look, an asshat is commenting on a story that is exactly a year old. Nice!
Maybe Larr… err, Penny, could read a bit before spouting off?
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