Grocery store wine sales in TN... (buy, live, law) - Knoxville - Tennessee - City-Data Forum

Kitties of Domination · 03-02-2010, 08:31 PM

If the issue came to a ballot, how would you vote?

mbmouse · 03-02-2010, 08:53 PM

JMT · 03-02-2010, 09:03 PM

I don't drink, but I think it's silly that grocery stores can sell beer but not wine. I would definitely vote yes to allow grocery stores to sell wine in Tennessee.

jabogitlu · 03-02-2010, 10:22 PM

From a consumer perspective, that's a no-brainer. It's a complete non-issue. I'd be surprised if more than 1-2 people ever voted 'no.'

hiknapster · 03-03-2010, 12:43 AM

I rarely drink and especially wine. However, when I do buy wine it is for cooking purposes.

Alcohol laws are odd, anyway. In Mass., you couldn't buy anything - beer, wine, liquor - after 11 p.m. and not on Sundays or holidays. So if you didn't get what you needed for a Memorial Day cookout by 11 p.m. on Saturday night, you were out of luck. And you can't buy beer at a convenience store.

Kitties of Domination · 03-03-2010, 08:55 AM

Wow, from the numbers thus far, it appears that our representatives are not representing us. Wonder what could make them do that?? $$$

EVAunit1981 · 03-03-2010, 08:59 AM

Of course its about the money. Liquor stores stand to lose big bucks if such a law is passed. The liquor stores have been very effective at lobbying the State of Tennessee to keep the status quo.

I'd vote to change the law in a heartbeat and I don't even drink wine. I don't see it as any of the government's business where people buy their wine.

JMT · 03-03-2010, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I rarely drink and especially wine. However, when I do buy wine it is for cooking purposes.

Alcohol laws are odd, anyway. In Mass., you couldn't buy anything - beer, wine, liquor - after 11 p.m. and not on Sundays or holidays. So if you didn't get what you needed for a Memorial Day cookout by 11 p.m. on Saturday night, you were out of luck. And you can't buy beer at a convenience store.

How funny! When I lived in Mississippi they weren't allowed to sell refrigerated beer. But maybe that was just in Oxford.

Anyway, I like to cook with wine, too (and cognac) and I feel like such a wino every time I slink into a liquor store and come out with something in an unmarked brown paper bag. I don't care how nice the liquor store is, it's still a liquor store and has that kind of dirty underworld reputation.

The only downside I can see to allowing grocery stores to sell wine is that it would drive most liquor stores out of business. I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself based on what I said above, but consider this: most liquor stores in Tennessee are owned by small business owners. Most grocery stores in Tennessee are owned by big, out-of-state corporations. So changing this law would in essence be helping Corporate America while hurting mom-and-pop business owners.

jabogitlu · 03-03-2010, 01:29 PM

Yes, but aren't we regulating in the market then? Seems to me like all these people who are crying and weeping over the imminent Socialism of Obama are the same ones who want to meddle in the affairs of the people when it comes to social issues.

JMT · 03-03-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Yes, but aren't we regulating in the market then? Seems to me like all these people who are crying and weeping over the imminent Socialism of Obama are the same ones who want to meddle in the affairs of the people when it comes to social issues.

And conversely, people who hate Corporate America are giddy at the prospect of letting Corporate America sell liquor in Tennessee and send the profits back to Corporate Headquarters outside of Tennessee.