Title: Authorizes the Sale of Wine in Grocery Stores Signed by Governor Bill Haslam Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that authorizes the sale of wine in grocery stores. Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to issue licenses to sell wine at a “retail food store” beginning July 1, 2016 to an applicant seeking a license in a county or municipality that meets the following requirements (Sec. 1): The locality passes a referendum allowing the sale of wine at retail food stores; The locality has full-time law enforcement through a police or sheriff’s department. Defines a “retail food store” as an establishment that is open to the public and derives at least 20 percent of its sales from the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption and has a retail space of at least 1,200 square feet (Sec. 1). Requires an individual applying for a retail food store wine license to meet the following qualifications (Sec. 1):

Be at least 21 years old; Has never been convicted of a felony; Does not have any interest, direct or indirect, in a business licensed to engage in the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages. Requires a wine at retail food store license applicant to pay the Alcoholic Beverage Commission the following fees (Sec. 1): A nonrefundable application fee of $400; An annual license fee of $1,250. Prohibits a retail food store from selling wine during the following times (Sec. 1): Between the hours of 11:00 P.M. on Saturday and 8:00 A.M. on Monday of each week; Between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M. on every other day; on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Labor Day, New Year’s Day, and July 4th. Authorizes a retail food store licensed to sell wine to also sell retail items related to or incidental to the use, consumption, dispensing, or storage of alcoholic beverages, along with merchandise and supplies related to special events or parties, including, but not the limited to, the following items (Sec. 10):

Beverage coolers, ice chests, and ice in any form; Combined packages containing multiple alcoholic beverages; Beer and wine-making kits; Concentrates and ingredients used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages. Requires the licensee to maintain at least 20 percent of his or her sales from the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption in order to renew his or her retail food store wine license (Sec. 1). Prohibits a retail food store from being issued a license to sell wine prior to July 1, 2017, if the establishment of the applicant seeking the license is within 500 feet of an establishment holding an “alcoholic spirituous beverages license” (Sec. 1). Prohibits a retail food store from being issued a license to sell wine if the establishment of the applicant seeking a license is located within a shopping center or other development that has restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages (Sec. 1). Requires all deliveries of wine to a retail food store to be made by a licensed wholesaler to a licensed store manager and payment must be made upon delivery and not on credit (Sec. 1).

Prohibits a retail food store licensed to sell wine from storing any wine off the licensed premises and keeping unsealed bottles or containers of wine on the premises (Sec. 1). Establishes a “responsible vendor training program” for retail food store wine licensees, which licensees are required to participate in (Sec. 1). See The Voting Record Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the sale of wine in grocery stores. Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to issue licenses to sell wine at a “retail food store” to an applicant seeking a license in a county or municipality that meets the following requirements (Sec. 1):lg smart wine sim Defines “retail food store” as an establishment where food and food products, alone or in combination with grocery items typically found in grocery or convenience stores, are offered to the consumer and intended primarily for off-premises consumption (Sec. 1).best wine bar bucharest

Be at least 21 years old; Has never been convicted of a felony. An annual license fee of $1,100. Between the hours of 3:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. on weekdays; Between the hours of 3:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. on Sundays. Specifies that a wine at retail food store license holder is not limited to operating 1 licensed retail food store business in the state (Sec. 1). Prohibits a retail food store from selling wine with an alcohol content level above 18 percent (Sec. 1).guide to wine grapes Requires each jurisdiction to hold and pass a referendum authorizing the sale of wine in retail food stores for the provisions of this bill to take effect (Sec. 1).beer and wine store new westminster Prohibits a municipality or county from limiting the number of wine at retail food store licenses issued within their jurisdiction (Sec. 1).the best red wine sangria

Establishes a “responsible vendor training program” for a wine at retail food store license holder and requires him or her to pay an annual fee to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission based on the number of employed clerks (Sec. 1). Title: Authorizes the Sale of Wine in Grocery StoresA controversial wine-in-grocery stores bill that will allow grocers to stock their shelves with wine before July 1 was given approval on Monday.The contentious bill, which would let store owners work with distributors to obtain wine before the July enactment date, was debated among the chamber's Republicans in large part because of a provision that will place a two-store limit on liquor retailers.where to buy boxes of wineProponents, including Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, argued in favor of the cap, saying it will place a reasonable limitation on alcohol in the state.Todd, who was the bill's sponsor, fielded a variety of questions and comments from detractors during the nearly 30-minute discussion.

House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick said the two-store cap would unfairly prevent certain companies from coming to the state."What we're doing is we're limiting competition," he said. "We're not keeping people from drinking. What we're doing is we're deciding who makes the money off of it."Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, who sponsored the 2014 law that would allow wine sales in supermarkets, said, "Placing a cap on business in Tennessee is an absolutely horrible policy idea."Citing the recent resignation of Keith Bell, who is the former executive director of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Rep. David Alexander, R-Winchester, said he is especially concerned about the bill.THE TENNESSEANAs wine in grocery stores looms, Tennessee alcohol head resigns"Something does not feel right about that," he said, adding that the legislation is "about protectionism."Rep. Tilman Goins, R-Morristown, said despite the fact that his colleagues understand the No. 1 controlled substance issue in Tennessee involves prescription pills, no one has introduced a bill that would limit the number of pharmacies in the state."

This bill, in my opinion, is a bad bill with this cap on liquor stores," he said, adding that Republicans frequently run for office on the promise of trying to remove regulations on small businesses. "This bill and this cap is no different than limiting the number of tire stores that a person can own in this state."But Rep. William Lamberth, R-Cottontown, said he supports the measure because it provides protections to the state's small businesses."We don't need to strip away their very livelihood and put them up against the big box retailers who can literally open a hundred liquor stores tomorrow if they wanted to," he said.Also speaking in favor of the bill was Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, who said it is wise for the state to "regulate the morals of our community" by including the two-store cap in order to ensure that there is not a liquor store in every single corner in an area.Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, called the state's alcohol laws "absolutely ridiculous," adding that the "liquor lobby" was behind the legislation.

During an unusual defense of the legislation, Todd said he was not influenced by special interests to advance the measure."I'm not in anybody's pocket, won't never be in anybody's pocket," Todd said. Then he added, "I take that back — I'm only in one person's pocket. And guess who that is? Jesus Christ, my lord and savior, is the only pocket I'll ever be in. Todd, who pleaded guilty to drunken driving with a loaded handgun in his car after a 2011 traffic stop in a Nashville neighborhood, said the two-store cap is a necessity given the fact that he had seen "many lives ruined with alcohol and drugs" while working in law enforcement.The two-store cap was the most contested aspect of the bill as it made its way through both the House and Senate. At one point, when House members tried to remove the limitation, Todd removed the bill from consideration.THE TENNESSEANPush to cap liquor store licenses stallsThe legislation has been deemed necessary given that it could take weeks, or even months, for wholesalers to fulfill their deliveries because of the fact that so many stores are planning to sell wine.