State Control of Wine Sales: Grocery Stores VS Specialty Wine Stores

Monday's class helped me appreciate how much control each state has regarding consumer's access to wine, liquor and spirits. This got me thinking a lot about how, as someone who frequently purchases wine, my experience buying wine has changed dramatically since I moved from New York to California due to the different liquor laws in each state.

New York is one of 11 states where its illegal to sell wine in grocery stores and convenient stores - this means customers must make an extra stop to a wine specialty store in order to pick up their favorite bottle. While making an extra stop at a wine specialty store can be inconvenient at times, I think the experience of shopping at a wine specialty store leads to more informed purchasing decisions. In comparison to grocery stores, wine shops usually have knowledgable in-store staff that can make recommendations and can help customers make educated choices. Its fun to talk to the staff at these stores about their favorite wines and whats new in-store.

While you can still find specialty wine stores in California, the state also allows grocery stores, pharmacies and convenient stores to sell wine. As a result, I find that I now make the majority of my wine purchases at stores like Trader Joe's and CVS (since I'm already there buying groceries or picking something up at the pharmacy). Although I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's wine offerings, I feel like buying wine at a grocery store is a very different experience compared to New York. In CA, I typically quickly grab something off the grocery store shelf and never ask questions or interact with people working there.

I'm curious to hear about people's wine-purchasing habits and whether they prefer to buy wine at grocery stores / convenience stores or specialty wine shops.

I also wonder whether state laws that allow wine to be sold in grocery stores ultimately helps or hurts wineries. Are people more likely to buy better, higher quality wine if they're forced to shop at a wine specialty store? Or does limiting the locations where wine is sold lead to fewer, less frequent purchases since its less convenient for the consumer?