Another Tulsa Liquor Store Boycotts Oklahoma Wines

I hear from a large number Oklahoma consumers wondering why wines that are made in Oklahoma are so hard to find in Oklahoma liquor stores. the short answer: boycotts from liquor store operators.

On February 19, House Bill 2219 passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives 62-37. A recent wine article in Urban Tulsa describes the reaction of some Oklahoma liquor merchants.

Justin G. DeMier, owner of Justin's Wine and Spirits, 11234 E. 71st St. (at Garnett Road), thinks this will hurt all retailers such as himself, and therefore he does not carry Oklahoma wines in protest of this bill.

Boycotting oklahoma wineries in response to upcoming legislation is nothing new in Oklahoma. Recently, the very wine industry lobby organizations that liquor stores are siding with against HB2219, pushed forward legislation to allow Oklahoma grocery stores to sell wine. Once again wine and food could go together in Oklahoma. The response of many Oklahoma liquor store owners...refuse to sell Oklahoma wines. Pancho's Liquortown and Byron's Liquor Warehouse - both in Oklahoma City were quick to jump on the boycott Oklahoma bandwagon.

This year Senate Bill 1506, by Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, passed the Senate on a 30-13 vote. The bill establishes a reciprocal shipping agreement that would allow Oklahoma wineries to ship their product to other states with similar agreements in place.

At the present time, Oklahoma winemakers can sell wine out of state, Adams said. The problem is that in the receiving states it's illegal and in many cases it's a felony. Basically, this bill would lift Oklahoma into that dozen or so states that allow reciprocal shipping of wine.

Want to guess where these guys will line up on this issue?

UrbanTulsa.com Article - Romancing the Grape