The Oklahoma Gazette has a pretty informative article on the history of this issue. Here's a quote from their recent article on the subject:
Many Oklahoma wineries lost business from liquor stores in 2004 when they supported a bill in the Oklahoma Legislature that would have created more than $1.3 million in revenue for the growing Oklahoma wine industry.
Winemakers say several Oklahoma package retailers boycotted their wine in protest of the bill. House Bill 2219, which eventually died in committee, would have created the Oklahoma Grape and Wine Commission and could have paved the way for getting wine into grocery stores. -- from Got wine? Will Oklahoma grocers ever sell vino? by Brianna Bailey
The article appears to be pretty balanced to me.
http://www.okgazette.com/news/templates/news.asp?articleid=699&zoneid=3
3 comments:
This is a bad idea. The vast majority of minors who illegally obtain beer currently get it from supermarkets and convenience stores. Those who get liquor illegally get it from people who are old enough to by the stuff at a retail liquor stores. Leave wine and beer sales to the experts - the retail liquor stores. They already ID everyone who looks younger than 30 (at least the reputable ones do). If this were to pass, it wouldn't bring "high end" grocery stores to Oklahoma. There's no proof of that. Besides, we already have those. Do you want kids running through Wal-Mart, Sams, Buy For Less, etc trying to figure out how to "lift" a bottle or two? Will you expect the cashiers (who usually aren't old enough to buy wine and spirits themselves) to get an adult to sell the beer and wine? As for the "boycott" of Oklahoma Wines.....that came about because Oklahoma wineries won't give retailers a break on price. They expect retailers to buy their products at a price-point higher than wholesale and lower than retail. If Oklahoma wineries want to get their product in stores, they need to improve quality, produce a product that's at least 70% Oklahoma grapes (currently Grape Ranch and other wineries only use California grapes), and lower their price-points. On a final note: if this bill were to make it for a vote, and it were to pass, would you give retail liquor stores the right to sell cold beer, cold wine, and non-alcoholic items such as ice, glasses, cork screws, soda, mixers, and snacks? Or would you refuse to consider that as a fair trade-off?
"Anonymous" is typical of the ignorance that runs
rampant through this state!
This person says, “…Leave wine and beer sales to the
experts - the retail liquor stores.”
I suspect that "Anonymous" IS either an owner or
employee of a liquor store or is a member of the
liquor wholesaler industry.
And if so, then that person is afraid of competition
and would prefer a monopoly on wine/beer sales.
Direct-shipment advocates like “Free The Grapes”
(www.freethegrapes.org/) warned us about people like
"Anonymous", who spread lies based on fear.
My suggestion is for anyone who would like to rise
above the ignorance, to go to the Free The Grapes site
and learn…educate yourself.
Kids are not going to run rampant, stealing wine and
they certainly are not going to wait two weeks for a
bottle of wine to arrive in the mail.
What’s more, the more people like "Anonymous" control
Oklahoma business, the more our state gets left behind
in some many areas.
It’s time we catch up with the rest of the country and
get out of 19th Century thinking.
The world is changing…and Oklahoma needs to as well,
even if it means dragging people like "Anonymous", who
will kick and scream all the while, into the present
and prepare for the future.
Oklahoma, GROW UP!
DocScholl I agree with your view on the comment by "anonymous" with the exception of classifying it as typical Oklahoma ignorance.
His comment is loaded with lies and half-truths that merely repeat the talking points his corporate masters have given him.
The view that anoymous presents isn't at all common in Oklahoma except from politicians and the lobbys that fund them.
Regular Oklahoma citizen's don't consider liquor retailers 'experts' in anything but filling their own pockets. They don't think Wal-Mart is competent to sell guns, drugs and beer, but not wine or scotch...the very idea is laughable.
Even more insane is the idea that Oklahoma liquor stores won't carry Oklahoma wines because the price is too high and the quality too low and there aren't enough Oklahoma grapes used in the process.
Personlly, I think Oklahoma wineries should wake up and realize that there is no compromising with the Liquor Stores because their political bvoice is owned by the distributors.
Once an industry is hooked on the Halliburton economics of making their profits from government mandates..they are lost forever to rational thinking.
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