PA Wine Kiosks - seriously?

[Kies99]

Yes but some grocery stores have licenses to sell six packs like bars can. The employees of the grocery stores sell the beer not state employees.

I said "WINE & LIQUOR", not beer.

 

[Kathi OD]

I love living in FL where you can buy beer and wine in the grocery right along with milk and toilet paper.

Living in PA for 50 of my 55 years, you can imagine my amazement when, on a trip to the Keys, my DH discovered he could buy beer at the drive-thru of one of the local drugstores! Drinking and driving, anyone?

 

[bettymae1121]

When my DH, who was born and raised in PA, first moved to IL and saw beer, wine, and liqour in the grocery stores, he just about fell over from shock!

He says it's the only thing IL does better than PA.

 

[Kies99]

When you say "attached" do you mean INSIDE the stores? Because I know for a FACT that we have what amounts to a huge deli near me, that sells wine and beer inside. They started doing it about 2 years ago. It was on our local news, as being part of a special program. I remember that very few places could qualify.

This place also sells meals you can eat inside, IIRC.

Are you sure of the WINE? I don't know of any that sell Wine so if they do, that's definitely news to me. That's the whole point of the new wine kiosks. I have grocery stores here in Pittsburgh that do sell beer but none sell wine. There are a couple that have attached liquor stores, but those are controlled by the state. I googled and can't find any reference. What is the name of the store(deli) you reference as I'm truly curious to check into this.

Oh wait, let me ask this. Is it only wine made by a Pennsylvania winery? That's the only way I know of that it could be sold outside of the Wine & Spirits store. I know that Trax Farms (Large farm and market) has a wine shop inside that sells from one winery only.

 

[jrmasm]

I said "WINE & LIQUOR", not beer.*

It wouldn't make any sense since the same store has a kiosk, but I swear I've seen wine in the beer section of the store.* I'll have to pay better attention the next time I'm in there.

 

[tasha99]

Totally bizarre. I think you should be able to buy any alcohol (liquor, wine, and beer) at the grocery store. Yeah, it sends the message that they go with food--they should! I always try to serve some snacks if we're having drinks.

 

[LiberalPrincess]

ITA!

There are people who have a serious overeating addiction. Should the PA government buy up the entire Fast Food industry? I must go to the PA Fast Food joint, and that's the only place I can get my Big Mac fix?

The truth is, as other PP's have pointed out, this is nothing more than a moneymaker for the Commonwealth.

While I do hate the whole system, the only thing that truly inconveniences me is the wine selection. I hate that I am unable to get new wines directly from vineyards without having to submit a ton of requests and paperwork through my State Store. Then, after all this, they MAY look to bring those wines into the store...it's not even guaranteed.

I know that you can get around the wine delivery issues in certain States (like Virginia) by joining a vineyard's wine club and then you can have wine directly shipped. Have you looked into that?

 

[DisneyScraps]

people are nuts with these alcohol laws

Lisa

 

[agnes!]

I've been in Pa 14 years and the alcohol issue doesn't bug me because NY wasn't all that much different when I lived there and NJ is super strict too. In fact I remember being stunned to see wine in the grocery store when I was in California and I also can distinctly remember the first time I saw beer in a grocery store too. It's just not a necessity so i always thought it was strange to have booze where you buy food. I don't object, I just think it's a powerful message enforcing the idea they belong together.

Actually, food and wine/beer (and to a lesser extent) hard liquor should be consumed with food, should be thought of as something to be enjoyed together. I think Americans have an odd attitude that beer must be drunk in large quantities! In a bar! With no food except fatty snacks! And wine must be drunk in large quantities with disregard for matching it up with the appropriate food!
Other countries have a much more relaxed attitude and don't especially regard wine and/or beer as separate entities from food, they are all consumables that can enhance the entire eating/drinking experience.

For most people it's no big deal, I've never been tempted to buy just because it's there or tempted to drink just because someone else is drinking. But that's just me. Out of respect for the people who can't control themselves and are fighting with alcoholism I'm ok with being a little inconvenienced.

I didn't know about the the vending machines though and think the breathalyzer is a weird idea because it's so easy to circumvent. All a person would have to do is either buy a bunch when sober or ask a friend to buy.

Anyone remember when cigarettes were in vending machines and those were banned? How can anyone justify booze in vending machines and not cigarettes? It's not like one is more dangerous than the other.

Yeah, the vending machines are stupid...and if cigarettes are so dangerous and if alcohol is so dangerous, then maybe they should *both* be completely outlawed. The problem is that the US already tried that, the experiment was a colossal failure and was called Prohibition. Besides, the government is addicted to all the tax dollars these so-called 'sins' bring in. What would the Federal/State/local governments do without all the income from...
*alcohol products(wine, beer, hard liquor)?
*tobacco products?
*gambling (including scratch-offs, lotteries, racing/betting parlors, etc.)?

Not anymore. Some grocery stores can qualify, but not places like ACME, Giant, Genuardis.....

anyway, we all know it is about the taxes for the state, or we would already have private retail stores.

It's kind of all about taxes for the state, but it's also about protecting the status quo. Doesn't matter if the status quo makes sense or not...any large bureaucracy will protect itself. The state and the beer distributors like the way things are set up just fine, they don't care about individual consumers.

If only curing alcoholism was this simple!

Can you imagine all the alcoholics in this world? "I REALLY need a drink. What? I have to go down to the beer distributor? Never mind. I think I will just quit drinking."

If it really worked this way, I would support it 100% but we all know it has nothing to do with this.

"I REALLY need a drink. What? I have to go down to the beer distributor? What? I have to buy a CASE?!? Oh gee whiz that really sucks..."

agnes!

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I know that you can get around the wine delivery issues in certain States (like Virginia) by joining a vineyard's wine club and then you can have wine directly shipped. Have you looked into that?

You still have to have paperwork done because the wine has to be shipped to your local PA State Store and picked up there. It's a nightmare. I have a couple of friends strategically placed around the United States who gather up various wines for me and bring them back when they come home to visit. I guess, technically, we're breaking some sort of interstate commerce laws, but who knows? I consider them gifts. Are you allowed to accept wine gifts in PA that are not sold in State?

 

[MushyMushy]

I know that you can get around the wine delivery issues in certain States (like Virginia) by joining a vineyard's wine club and then you can have wine directly shipped. Have you looked into that?

Not here. Some places won't ship to PA and others you have to send it to your local state store.

I am so over these stupid PA liquor laws. We're just a hop, skip and a jump from the WV border, so when we want to buy a bottle of wine, 6 pack of beer, or bottle of liquor, we go there.

 

[marcyinPA]

You still have to have paperwork done because the wine has to be shipped to your local PA State Store and picked up there. It's a nightmare. I have a couple of friends strategically placed around the United States who gather up various wines for me and bring them back when they come home to visit. I guess, technically, we're breaking some sort of interstate commerce laws, but who knows? I consider them gifts. Are you allowed to accept wine gifts in PA that are not sold in State?

I could have sworn that when we did a wine tour in Sonoma County a few years ago, we could order wine and have it shipped to our home? Not the case? We didn't try it because it really wasn't in the budget for us to do so, but if money wasn't an issue, we would have loved to bring more home! And actually, I did bring home two bottles in my suitcase. Did I break the law?!

 

[Kies99]

I am so over these stupid PA liquor laws. We're just a hop, skip and a jump from the WV border, so when we want to buy a bottle of wine, 6 pack of beer, or bottle of liquor, we go there.

LUCKY!!

We're just a little to far for it to be worthwhile ('bout 45min). We do feel like bootleggers sometimes when we go visit family in Columbus or down in NC.

 

[Michelina]

We went to Wegmans a while ago and bought beer in their little restaurant area and the checkout guy told me that there was a state law that we had to bag it ourselves! He was allowed to open the bags for us but couldn't actually place the beer in the bags!
I thought that was pretty funny considering at the beer distributor you aren't allowed to carry the beer to your car by yourself, they have to bring it out and put it in your trunk, same with kegs
I don't buy a lot of beer so I might not be remembering correctly but I think at a 6 pack shop you can't buy more than 2 6 packs at a time, but you can do two separate transactions and have 24 cans of beer.

 

[marcyinPA]

We went to Wegmans a while ago and bought beer in their little restaurant area and the checkout guy told me that there was a state law that we had to bag it ourselves! He was allowed to open the bags for us but couldn't actually place the beer in the bags!
I thought that was pretty funny considering at the beer distributor you aren't allowed to carry the beer to your car by yourself, they have to bring it out and put it in your trunk, same with kegs
I don't buy a lot of beer so I might not be remembering correctly but I think at a 6 pack shop you can't buy more than 2 6 packs at a time, but you can do two separate transactions and have 24 cans of beer.

We always carry our own beer out of the distributor. And we've bought beer at Wegman's and I don't remember this being an issue. Was your cashier at Wegman's under 21? Maybe that's the reason?

 

[Toad_Passenger]

We always carry our own beer out of the distributor. And we've bought beer at Wegman's and I don't remember this being an issue. Was your cashier at Wegman's under 21? Maybe that's the reason?

Yeah, I've carried plenty of cases out of the distributor without a problem. However, I have had the same experience at Wegman's. The cashier was over 21, but he couldn't give me a bag unless I asked, and then I had to place the bottles in the bag on my own.

It has something to do with the fact that they are being sold as part of their "Cafe." So they are, technically, being sold for consumption on the premises, thus no bag necessary. If they provide the bag and do the bagging, then they are going beyond what they are allowed under their alcohol-sales license.

 

[marcyinPA]

Yeah, I've carried plenty of cases out of the distributor without a problem. However, I have had the same experience at Wegman's. The cashier was over 21, but he couldn't give me a bag unless I asked, and then I had to place the bottles in the bag on my own.

It has something to do with the fact that they are being sold as part of their "Cafe." So they are, technically, being sold for consumption on the premises, thus no bag necessary. If they provide the bag and do the bagging, then they are going beyond what they are allowed under their alcohol-sales license.

Interesting! Too many rules, though!

 

[RUDisney]

I know that you can get around the wine delivery issues in certain States (like Virginia) by joining a vineyard's wine club and then you can have wine directly shipped. Have you looked into that?

This is the reason I joined the Free the Grapes lobby. We cannot have wine direct shipped to our home.

My BFF lives in NY, so when I really want something that I can't get in PA, or a deal comes up that is too good to pass up, I ship it to her. State laws be darned!

I could have sworn that when we did a wine tour in Sonoma County a few years ago, we could order wine and have it shipped to our home? Not the case? We didn't try it because it really wasn't in the budget for us to do so, but if money wasn't an issue, we would have loved to bring more home! And actually, I did bring home two bottles in my suitcase. Did I break the law?!

You are allowed to ship it to yourself, but the winery can't ship it to you. I'm not sure how many bottles you are technically allowed to send at one time, but I know you broke no laws by bringing two bottles across state lines.

 

[Mimi1965]

I've been in Pa 14 years and the alcohol issue doesn't bug me because NY wasn't all that much different when I lived there and NJ is super strict too. In fact I remember being stunned to see wine in the grocery store when I was in California and I also can distinctly remember the first time I saw beer in a grocery store too. It's just not a necessity so i always thought it was strange to have booze where you buy food. I don't object, I just think it's a powerful message enforcing the idea they belong together.

.

Well I grocery shop at Walmart-and I've yet to buy wine there-because all they stock is cheap junk

We go to a couple high end grocery stores to get our wine and some cheese-like Fresh Market.

 

[Nancy]

I've been in Pa 14 years and the alcohol issue doesn't bug me because NY wasn't all that much different when I lived there and NJ is super strict too. In fact I remember being stunned to see wine in the grocery store when I was in California and I also can distinctly remember the first time I saw beer in a grocery store too. It's just not a necessity so i always thought it was strange to have booze where you buy food. I don't object, I just think it's a powerful message enforcing the idea they belong together.

For most people it's no big deal, I've never been tempted to buy just because it's there or tempted to drink just because someone else is drinking. But that's just me. Out of respect for the people who can't control themselves and are fighting with alcoholism I'm ok with being a little inconvenienced.

I didn't know about the the vending machines though and think the breathalyzer is a weird idea because it's so easy to circumvent. All a person would have to do is either buy a bunch when sober or ask a friend to buy.

Anyone remember when cigarettes were in vending machines and those were banned? How can anyone justify booze in vending machines and not cigarettes? It's not like one is more dangerous than the other.

I've lived in NY state all my life, I'm 52 and beer has always been sold in grocery stores that I can remember..and that is going back to my early teens. Then when wine coolers came out they sold those in the stores...for at least 10 years we have been selling wine "products". Those are usually a malt type beverage flavored to taste like wine. I have never tried those because I just can't imagine how a malt beverage can taste like a real wine but I do remember selling it to people when I worked in the grocery store.

Real wine and the hard liquors are sold in liquor stores.