Tennessee: Haslam Signs Wine In Grocery Stores Bill

(WREG) - Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has just signed the wine in grocery stores bill..

Voters will now decide by referendum if they’ll allow the sales in their own towns and cities across Tennessee.

In addition to allowing retailers and wholesalers to sell wine, liquor stores can sell beer and drinking related items such as mixers.

The change would not go into effect until July, 2016.

Some specifics:

This amendment creates the retail food store wine licenses, to be issued by the alcoholic beverages commission. A retail food store license will authorize the licensee to sell wine, of an alcoholic content not to exceed 18 percent by volume, for off premises consumption. A retail food store that is licensed to sell beer may also be licensed to sell win under this amendment. The qualifications for issuance of a retail food store wine license will be:

(1) The store must be an establishment that is open to the public and that derives at least 20 percent of its sales taxable sales from retail sales of food and food ingredients other than food and food ingredients sold as prepared food, alcoholic beverages, candy, dietary supplements and tobacco. This requirement must be maintained throughout the period of licensure and failure to maintain this requirement, after receiving a one-year period within which to do so, will result in suspension or revocation the license;
(2) The store must have retail floor space of at least 1,200 square feet;
(3) The store must be located in a county or municipality where the sale of wine in retail food stores has been authorized by a local option election and that have full time law enforcement through a police or sheriff’s department;
(4) Individual applicants for licensure must be at least 21 years of age and not have been convicted of a felony that would disqualify the applicant from eligibility for issuance of an alcoholic wholesaler or retailer license under present law;