Your wine preferences & any changes over time?

[OakLeaf]

You're from Ohio and you're calling other states' alcohol regulation "weird?"

[Crankin]

We also have weird alcohol laws. So, we joined a wine club that has an "agent" here. That's how they are allowed to ship here. Also, if we find a wine we like, and want to order it, we just go to our local liquor store and they order it for us. You can look into that. Of course, we don't have those state stores here, just regular liquor stores. Grocery stores don't sell liquor, either, except some do. I can't figure out how they do this, maybe it's grandfathered? Anyway, my grocery store does sell liquor and they do tastings every month, on Fridays, with cheese and crackers.

[roo4]

PA alcohol laws are strange. We have our own Wikipedia page attempting to describe them! As I understand it, wine can only be purchased from a state store. Mostly these are closed on Sunday's, but there are a handful throughout the commonwealth that have Sunday hours. We cannot have wine shipped to a private address. We can make arrangements with a licensed wine shipper to mail the wine to a state store, as long as that wine is not normally available in PA stores, and I think there is a limit of 9 liters per month. All the usually state taxes are levied.

There are a few grocery stores that sell beer (maybe wine, but the one in my town is beer only). These stores have separate dining areas, exits, and checkouts that are distinct from the rest of the store.

[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.

[Skippyak]

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.

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.

[smilingcat]

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.

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.

[emily_in_nc]

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...

[Skippyak]

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.

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.

[Owlie]

You're from Ohio and you're calling other states' alcohol regulation "weird?"

Ohio's never struck me as odd. Granted, if we wanted to go to Whole Foods or Bigg's that were in Warren Co. to pick up beer on a Sunday, we had to wait until noon, but Hamilton had no such restriction. I have no idea about buying higher-proof liquor or anything, because I've never done it. (Cuyahoga's regulations were pretty odd, though. The Giant Eagle with the liquor agency in it was strange.)

But at least we can buy beer at the grocery store!

Trying to buy beer here with an out-of-state driver's license is fun.

[emily_in_nc]

I'm from North Carolina, where wine and beer can be purchased in all grocery stores (but not before noon on Sundays -- blue law still on the books) EXCEPT in dry counties. There are still a few of them left, but not around any of the major cities or anywhere I've ever lived. For liquor you have to go to state-controlled ABC stores, which are closed on Sundays. This is what I'm used to so I'm always surprised when we're traveling in states that sell liquor in grocery stores. Just looks odd to me, though it's fine w/me.

Have lived in Kansas since this summer, which is even stranger -- beer only available in grocery stores (no wine), and only 3.2% beer at that. All the same brands you're used to, including ales, have a 3.2% version for Kansas (and maybe some other states?) I had NO idea. For liquor, beer, and wine, you can go to commercial liquor stores. Not sure if that's still 3.2 beer or the regular stuff as I haven't bought any there. Since we're in KC, we just hop over the border to Missouri, and beer/wine/liquor is all available at Costco, where we're members, and not in the reduced alcohol level. Needless to say, we buy our supplies there!

[OakLeaf]

Retail liquor was privatized in Ohio 15 or 20 years ago, but all the wholesale buying is done by the State, and the private liquor agents must sell at the price the State sets. Many liquors aren't available in Ohio. Sometimes a distributor will petition for them to sell a new liquor and the Bureau of Liquor Control may decide against it if they don't think it adds anything to the range of beverages already available here, or they don't think it would sell well enough to justify the quantity they'd have to buy. I'm not sure how the laws about the space work, honestly - standalone liquor stores sell beer, wine, snack foods, etc., without any type of partition, but grocery stores that have State liquor agencies have a partitioned-off space. (Maybe you have to be 21 to even go in the store?? I know you have to be 21 to go into the grocery store partitions.) Socialized drinking, is what it is, but privatized retail.

Retailers can buy beer and wine direct from the distributors, but they can't sell it for less than a 20% markup. (Tobacco prices are regulated the same way).

The cut-off for liquor is 20% alcohol, so many fortified wines can only be sold in liquor stores. On the other hand, there are plenty of diluted hard liquors on sale where beer and wine are sold. I can't imagine how hard up one would have to be to drink that stuff! Pre-packaged mixed drinks can be sold at places with low licenses, too. I don't *think* we have 3.2% beer any more, though I'm really not sure about that.

Everything is local option, so if someone wants a new liquor license, or wants to transfer a license they own to a new location, the precinct gets to vote on it. There are Sunday licenses for both bars and package sales, but it's a separate license, so not every retailer makes the investment, and not every Sunday license application is approved by the local voters.

Maybe they should've kept Prohibition and done it all under the table. It was so much simpler then ...

[roo4]

Bike Writer, thanks for the recommendations! I'll look for them next time I'm in the wine/spirits store.