Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Wine in Supermarkets? What's your opinion?

There has been an awful lot in the newspapers lately about selling wine in supermarkets in New York State. Wineries are divided between those who see it as an avenue for more exposure (and who are blacklisted by liquor stores as a result) and those who remain loyal to their liquor stores. Consumers are divided also between those who feel it would increase drunk driving fatalities and those who would like the convenience of picking up a bottle of wine to go with dinner at Wegmans. I think it is an interesting question and I would like to hear from people in one of those 35 or so states who do sell wine in supermarkets. How has it impacted liquor store sales, the local wine industry and the state's revenues?
Some thoughts:
Will grocery stores be selling the lower end wines mainly and if so how will that impact the local wine industries and liquor store sales? I know I go to the liquor stores for their expertise and to get a "nice" bottle of wine.
How much of the NY State wines will the groceries carry in relation to California wines or wines from other countries? Will it be a huge plus for the local wineries or will just some of the more prominent wineries get their table whites and reds on the shelf?
Why can't the liquor stores expand in other areas to compensate? One wrote that different types/flavors of vodkas alone could take over their stores. What about liquor stores being able to carry beer to make up the losses in wine sales?
As for the ability of youth to get their hands on the wine from grocery stores and therefore increase the number of teen drinking and driving fatalities, I guess I would have to do a little research to get some objective statistics on that.
What about those of you in those states where they sell wine in grocery stores? What can you tell us? I would certainly like to see it happen if it is truly promoting and increasing sales for our local wineries and I find it appalling that local wineries would get their product delegated to the bottom shelf in local liquor stores because of their stand on the issue. How can we find the win-win for liquor stores and wineries in this scenario?