Your wine preferences & any changes over time?

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Originally Posted by smilingcat

Of all the different states I've visited, Utah takes the case for having the strangest liquor law on the books. Not only is it strange, they keep changing it to confuse you even more... Pa not too horrible nor is Mass. Both at least do not keep changing it every year. Or Ks. another horrible laws.

oh back to the original question. Yes my taste in wine has changed. Cheaper!! but still good wine. mostly from California.

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I live in Utah and I am never sure what makes it a big deal? I live down the road from a big liquor store, I know not to buy beer at the grocery, and I am way too old to be part of any bar scene. It is sad not to be able to buy wine from Costco, but I think within 5 yrs the state will step out of the liquor game and privatise it. I don't know how the laws affect normal people? Tourists might be pissed at grocery store beer strength but there are plenty of liquor stores in SLC and the burbs. I see plenty of people with kids in the liquor stores (I won't take mine in) and the liquor store near me is really busy considering I live in a @98% TBM area. I have never been asked for ID LOL.

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Originally Posted by Skippyak

I live in Utah and I am never sure what makes it a big deal? I live down the road from a big liquor store, I know not to buy beer at the grocery, and I am way too old to be part of any bar scene. It is sad not to be able to buy wine from Costco, but I think within 5 yrs the state will step out of the liquor game and privatise it. I don't know how the laws affect normal people? Tourists might be pissed at grocery store beer strength but there are plenty of liquor stores in SLC and the burbs. I see plenty of people with kids in the liquor stores (I won't take mine in) and the liquor store near me is really busy considering I live in a @98% TBM area. I have never been asked for ID LOL.

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Maybe things have gotten better. I just have memories of being really confused by ever changing law. For a while I visited the state every year or so and each time the "game" was different. Want a liquor served in restaurant and you had to go to a separate room and have it in a mini-bottle. Can't remember if the waitress could get the drink or you had to get the drink... Then it was you needed to be in a private dinner club where you can buy a one day membership so that you can be served liquor at your table... then another time I had brought with me a very nice wine and was told to put it away by sommelier because it lacked the state liquor sticker or something to that effect but they could get me some other wine selected by the state liquor board.
Sommelier looked very disappointed that I was bummed. I think it was just Las Cases or maybe Pichon Lalande that I brought... I always loved going to La Caille in Salt Lake City. Very very nice tony restaurant. Good as French Laundry in Napa Valley, The Sardine Factory in Monterrey...

Maybe things have gotten better in Utah. Did not mean to offend. Just an outsider looking in.

We were surprised on our travels in New Mexico this summer that we got carded almost everywhere (restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) -- in our 50s! Some places had signs up saying "we card everyone". I guess it's easier than them trying to guess if people are over 21, but sheesh...at some point wrinkles and gray hair make it really obvious we're not in our teens anymore! Don't I wish... :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by smilingcat

Maybe things have gotten better. I just have memories of being really confused by ever changing law. For a while I visited the state every year or so and each time the "game" was different. Want a liquor served in restaurant and you had to go to a separate room and have it in a mini-bottle. Can't remember if the waitress could get the drink or you had to get the drink... Then it was you needed to be in a private dinner club where you can buy a one day membership so that you can be served liquor at your table... then another time I had brought with me a very nice wine and was told to put it away by sommelier because it lacked the state liquor sticker or something to that effect but they could get me some other wine selected by the state liquor board.
Sommelier looked very disappointed that I was bummed. I think it was just Las Cases or maybe Pichon Lalande that I brought... I always loved going to La Caille in Salt Lake City. Very very nice tony restaurant. Good as French Laundry in Napa Valley, The Sardine Factory in Monterrey...



Maybe things have gotten better in Utah. Did not mean to offend. Just an outsider looking in.

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I do think stuff is way different now, they do have zion curtain stuff but not to notice in a real restaurant any more with wine etc. La Caille has such a horrible reputation that I would never take my money there LOL. I do ride past it all the time in summer. I think they have new owners but I have yet to hear any recommendations. It must have been a long time ago that it had any reputation? I am not a Utah native but even in the 7 yrs I have lived in the burbs, there is big change afoot in the demography.

It seems that every year the MN legislature talks about changing our Puritanical liquor laws, and every year, the talks go nowhere. No off-sale alchohol can be sold on Sundays anywhere in the state. You can, however, go to a restaurant and order all the booze you want. Grocery stores cannot sell any alchohol, so some have gotten around that by adding a wine shop, right next door, you don't even have to go outside to get to it from the grocery store. :rolleyes: Seems like an exercise in silliness. The biggest opponents of changing the grocery store sale laws are the stand-alone beer and wine shops, no surprise. The biggest opponents of allowing Sunday sales are small grocery outlets that are closed on Sundays and believe they would need to stay open that day to sell alchohol in order to compete. That one is a bit of a stretch.

We opened up liquor stores on Sundays about 20 years ago. Still can't buy it or order in a restaurant before noon on Sunday. I never realized so many other states had blue laws.
My grocery store (one of the few that sells liquor) also cards everyone. Even me.

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Originally Posted by Norse

No off-site alchohol can be sold on Sundays anywhere in the state. You can, however, go to a restaurant and order all the booze you want.

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I have never understood that (and MN isn't the only place that does that). I've only encountered it as a tourist, which makes it especially awful. Drink all you like on Sunday as long as you drive (or typically with us, ride your motorcycle) away afterward. No taking a six back to your hotel and staying off the roads.