It’s true. But, for now, only in Pennsylvania - where the mission of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is to “provide greater customer service and convenience to consumers.” What a great mission I think to myself as I sit in Minnesota, a state where I can’t buy wine at the grocery store with my dinner fixins or on Sundays.
This is new, and they are testing it out with hopes to expand statewide. The pilot test is taking place in two grocery stores.
The vending machines stock 53 best-selling wines at optimal temperatures and provide detailed information (such as suggested food pairings) for interested consumers.
The machine acts as a bouncer by “carding” the buyer. The buyer’s driver’s license is inserted and the age information on the bar code is processed. The photo is matched with a video image of the buyer at the kiosk and a Liquor Control Board employee monitors each transaction from a remote location to confirm that the video of the purchaser matches the purchaser’s ID. (Sounds like a fun job.)
Oh, and it also acts as a cop. No buying wine if you are already under the influence my friends. There are built-in breathalyzers that provide an instantaneous reading. If a breath alcohol level of .02 or higher is detected, the consumer’s purchase is denied.
I’m torn on this idea. While I like the idea of it, (Wine from a vending machine? How cool!) I kind of prefer the wine shop way of shopping. I’m a touchy, feely kind of gal. I like to pick up the bottle and look at it and walk around with it in my cart while I debate additional bottles or find something else more intriguing. What are your thoughts on this? Would you buy wine from a vending machine?
Either way, I think, at the very least, the state of Minnesota needs to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores. I know I’ve signed numerous petitions but I’m not sure where things are at. Once that passes then we can work on the whole Sunday thing.
No matter where you purchase your wine, enjoy it! Cheers!
PS – Follow this link to see some photos. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/slideshow/news/24020756/detail.html
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