Taste-Testing Booze in Grocery Stores

[Athena]

Being a native Washingtonian, I'm tempted to name our wine as the most underrated in the world. Our beer seems to attain more notoriety (as out-of-staters seem to be more familiar with our breweries), and it is well deserved. No matter which way you slice it, Washington is some fantastic drinking country.

Just recently, to help promote Washington's wine and beer industries,the Washington State Senate okayed a pilot program that will allow consumers to taste wine and beer at local grocery stores. Here's how it will work:

- Stores are limited to one tasting per month
- Wine and beer samples must be two ounces or less
- Each customer may have up to a total of four ounces
- No more than one sample of any single brand and type of wine or beer may be provided to a customer during any one visit to the premises
- Food must be available for tasters
- Stores may only advertise tasting events inside the store
- The service area and facilities must be located within the store’s fully enclosed retail area
- Store employees must be able to observe and control participants to ensure that minors and apparently intoxicated persons cannot possess or consume alcohol
- Customers must remain in the service area while consuming samples

Seems pretty reasonable, right? Well, not to some. Apparently, such tastings are a bad example for children. You know, the same children who undoubtedly see their taste-testing mommy sip wine with dinner, or mimosas at lunch, or the "adult punch" at BBQs. Opponents say that this will confuse kids about the drunk driving message. In my opinion, the drunk driving message is pretty clear - .08BAC is the legal limit. 4 ounces will keep you well under the legal limit. When they're old enough to drink themselves, they'll be able to do the math.

Meanwhile, the tasting will have a positive effect on children, in my opinion. It has been stated that one of the reasons our European counterparts don't have the issues with binge drinking and alcoholism that we do is because, in European culture, alcohol is closely associated with food and special occasions, family interaction and such. It's not necessarily about driving all the way across town to the closest bar and getting shitty. These tastings will illustrate that alcohol really is about taste and that it can be enjoyed thoroughly in limited amounts.

But that's just my $.02. Would you like to see beer and wine taste-testing at your local grocery store?