Future comes quick for wine

Pennsylvania Plans Wine Kiosks
Monday, 27 July 2009
You can buy soda pop, DVDs, ice cream sandwiches, even cigarettes out of a vending machine. Why not bottles of wine?That's what Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board officials are thinking as they prepare to place automated wine kiosks at Harrisburg-area grocery stores this fall."If the technology works, we hope to expand statewide with up to 100 kiosks," PLCB Press Secretary Nick Hays said.How soon -- or even if -- they'd be in northwestern Pennsylvania is not known yet."No other locations have yet been identified," Hays said.Each kiosk would be about 25 feet long, 10 feet high and can contain a couple hundred bottles of wine.Customers would purchase wine at one of the kiosks by inserting their driver's license into the machine. A video camera placed on the kiosk would allow PLCB employees in Harrisburg to see if the customer is, in fact, the person whose picture is on the license. The customer would also be required to blow into a device to ensure they are not intoxicated at the time of purchase.The kiosks would have limited hours. They would only be open when PLCB employees were working to identify customers."We foresee these machines being placed in supermarkets," Hays said. "We will work with the kiosk's manufacturer, Simple Brands LLC., to identify possible locations. ... Obviously, a grocery store would need to be interested in having the kiosk."At least one local supermarket isn't interested in hosting a wine kiosk.Wegmans, 6143 Peach St., already sells beer and a couple varieties of wine at its on-site cafe. A kiosk doesn't fit in with the company's philosophy, said Hallie Johnston, store manager."We stress customer service and sharing knowledge with our customers about things like pairing the right kind of beer with a meal," Johnston said. "A wine kiosk could affect our customer service."A local winery owner also expressed doubts about how wine kiosks could benefit the state's smaller wine makers."The bottles in the kiosk would probably be from the larger wineries, not ones like ours," said Doug Moorhead, co-owner of Presque Isle Wine Cellars. "So, having these kiosks wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to us."The kiosks and an effort to sell higher-priced wine at "boutique" stores located inside gourmet grocery stores are two ways the PLCB is trying to improve customer convenience, Hays said.Pennsylvania is known for having some of the strictest alcohol-buying laws in the country. Wine is generally sold only in state stores.Copyright (C) 2009, Erie Times-News, Pa.