I promised a few weeks ago more details on whether state lawmakers will allow the sale of wine in Connecticut supermarkets to help boost revenues.
Here’s the story that ran in today’s Hearst newspapers.
The story touches on the division among state wineries over the proposal.
Want further proof? Read the following e-mail sent out in reaction to my piece by Keith Bishop, wine maker for Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford.
Mr. Bishop spent several minutes on the phone with me last night explaining his concerns about allowing grocery stores to market wine. While some claim this would be a boost for Connecticut wineries, Bishop believes it will be a losing battle with cheaper big name wines for shelf space and could also cut into visits tourists make to vineyards on the state’s wine trail.
In his e-mail, sent to the Governor and Department of Agriculture, Bishop complains my article mis-identified Gary Crump, co-owner of Priam Vineyards in Colchester and a supporter of selling wines in supermarkets, as President of the Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council.
Not only is that how Crump identified his role to me, but it’s a title he uses on his vineyard website.
The full text of Bishop’s e-mail is below and here’s a link for more info on the Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council.
I hope Bishop and Crump can settle their differences. Guys, I’ve tasted your product and you both make great local wines. Isn’t that what counts?
Keith
I can not believe in todays world we need to have another day to purchase alcohol. There is only one way selling wine in supermarkets or opening liquor stores on Sunday will increase revenue….People need to consume more.Sounds Great doesn’t it? Increase domestic violence,underage drinking,DWI should get a nice boost oh lets not forget the people with bonified drinking problems it will help them get access 7 days a week. I should surely hope our legislators would give some real thought to this before they would even consider voting on this issue.I don’t think we need to cast aside a long standing tradition of no alcohol on Sunday for a few peoples convienence.
wheather wine be in grocery stores or liquor stores(were it belongs), you will not produce any more dollars then whats already their. If the grocery stores were to close on SUNDAYS there dollars would be the same, only on Saturday and Monday would make up for SUNDAY sales as it did before SUNDAY sale were allowed. Everyone seems to think that SUNDAY sales will produce more dollars were it WON’T, are you asking the people of this STATE to DRINK MORE, so we could have more drunk people on the road…..Would you allow SUNDAY SALES if one of your family members was killed by a drink driver??????? What the supplyers of wine and liquor should really do is visit the local stores and see what people are buying….But when wine is allowed in the grocery stores are the 15 and 16 year old employees still going to sell it to there frieds who are the same age of them????????