"Where is the wine?" After pushing our shopping cart the second time around Whole Foods in Salt Lake City, we gave up and asked for help. Where was the wine, we asked. The shop attendant shrugged and said there wasn't any because of the law. Grocery stores like Whole Foods only carried beer. For wine, we would have to go to a liquor store, the nearest which was about 2 miles away.
For an international student, this was a jarring experience. Intellectually, I knew Utah was a dry state. Yet, seeing a Whole Foods devoid of wine drove home the point at whole different level. Everywhere else I have been in the United States, grocery stores had wine. That was a given. A Whole Foods with no wine, was like Disneyland with no Space Mountain- it's not the same.
Unfortunately, the vino situation does not seem like it will change soon. While alcohol is available in Utah, it is tightly controlled. Utah is one of a number of "Control States" in the US where only the State can import alcohol into Utah. Private individuals may not lawfully import or transport them into the state. In terms of sale, grocery stores can only sell liquor up to 5% ABV (increased from 4% only in Nov 2019). Higher content alcohol like wine can only be bought on the go in liquor stores. And during the debate to increase the alcohol content to 5% to accommodate changing beer products, the state senator sponsoring the motion made clear there were no plans to introduce wines to grocery stores.
These laws impact the growing wine industry in Utah. Winemakers have long cited high taxes and regulations such as the inability to stock at grocery stores as challenges to their growth. So even though there are a number of wineries like Castle Creek that produce award winning wines, they have to contend with regulations like having to be closed on Sundays and all State and Federal holidays because they are a liquor store. Such restrictions will make it difficult for wine makers in Utah to grow.
Thankfully, our journey for wine in Utah did not turn out as bleak. Our friends made the trek to the liquor store and were able to get us wines that we had for dinner that night. This gives me faith that even in Utah, wine will find a way.
I was also in Utah recently and I found their on-premise drinking laws equally bewildering! This regulatory framework could be excessively burdensome to developing a vineyard tourism experience.
ReplyDelete1) We were at a brewpub in Salt Lake City and when you want to order a drink, they first ID you and take your ID away from the table (presumably to verify it). I can't remember the last time I had my ID taken out of my sight.
2) They can't give you free tasters of beer before you order a full pint since providing alcohol for free is illegal. Thus they have it printed on the menu that you can order a taster for 50 cents. (Gotta wonder, do they even let you try a taste of your wine when you order a bottle?)
3) I then wanted to move tables to join some other friends and was informed that I couldn't move my beer from one table to another by myself. I then asked a staff member to assist me, but she was under 21 and also couldn't do so (maybe they should hire servers above 21?), so this relatively straightforward task became exceedingly complicated.
For a country that likes to espouse light regulation compared to jurisdictions like the European Union, alcohol seems to be a space where US regulation can be excessively paternalistic. I can see now why companies like Maker say that it's easier to expand overseas to the UK than it is to navigate the complex web of laws across 50 different states.