The right wine can make a meal special and is a must for many romantic occasions. But how easy is it to buy wine in the United States? You may already know that there are restrictions on the sale of liquor in many states. Is it the same for wine?
Do grocery stores sell wine in the United States?
Yes and no. It depends on which state you are in. Most states allow the sale of wine in grocery stores, but some do not.
Read on to find out in which states you can buy wine in the grocery stores and in which states you need to go to a liquor store.
Do Grocery Stores Sell Wine in the United States?
In many states of the United States, grocery stores that have successfully applied for the appropriate license can sell wine. There might be restrictions on where these grocery stores may place wine bottles.
What States Sell Wine In Grocery Stores?
These states allow the sale of wine in grocery stores with a license:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland (not in all counties)
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (not in all counties)
- Wyoming
In all other states, you will have to go to a liquor store, a package store, or a state-owned store to purchase wine.
Which Grocery Stores Sell Wine In The United States?
Even if a grocery store is located within a state that theoretically allows the sale of wine in grocery stores, it can’t just start selling wine.
A grocery store must have a valid license to sell alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption. As long as they have this, they can sell wine. However, some states only allow the sale of wine under a certain percentage of alcohol content.
Where To Find Wine In Grocery Stores In The United States?
It depends on the state you are in. In most states, there will be an aisle for wine in the general area of the grocery store.
In some states, however, grocery stores must sell alcoholic beverages in an area separate from the rest of the store. This will be sign-marked, so you should have no issue finding wine in any grocery store.
Why Can’t Some Grocery Stores Sell Wine In The United States?
If a grocery store is located in a state that does not allow the sale of wine within grocery stores, there is nothing the store can do about it. It is up to each state to decide who is allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.
If a grocery store in a state that allows the sale of wine in a grocery store has no license, it can also not sell wine. A grocery store may have failed to be successful in its application, or the state may have taken the license away because the store did something wrong (like selling alcohol to someone under the age of 21).
Related Questions
Can Grocery Stores Sell Wine On Sundays?
In recent years, laws about this have become a bit more relaxed, so you’ll find that all states that allow wine sales in grocery stores have no problem with wine sales on a Sunday.
It has not always been that way, and some states and counties still do not allow any sale of alcohol before noon on a Sunday.
Why Are Laws About Selling Wine Different In Different States?
It is a little annoying to visit a different state to end up in the grocery store and find no wine in any aisle. But why is it that way? Why are alcohol laws not the same all over the United States?
It all started after the prohibition of alcohol which ended in late 1933. After the prohibition ended, each state in the USA received the right to decide how to handle the production, distribution, and sales of alcohol.
Some states took this very seriously and created a lot of alcohol laws and created many restrictions. This is particularly noticeable in states with many violence-related crimes or states that take religion very seriously.
Do Grocery Stores Sell Liquor In The United States?
The sale of liquor is even more regulated than the sale of wine and beer. Many states do not allow the sale of liquor in grocery stores.
In some states, you can only get liquor in liquor stores (in some states, these are called package stores). In other states, the state has a monopoly over the sale of liquor, so you can only buy liquor in state-owned stores.
Do Grocery Stores Sell Beer In The United States?
Beer is quite often sold in grocery stores in the United States. Most beers do not contain as much alcohol as wine and a lot less than liquor. Some states, however, only allow the sale of beer under 4% alcohol content. You can find stronger beers in liquor stores.
Final Thoughts
In many states, you can purchase wine in grocery stores, so you should not run into any issues as long as you are old enough to buy alcohol (21 years or older).
Keep in mind that many states have strict laws about drunken behavior, especially in public. Please always drink responsibly and be aware of the local laws, as these can differ not only from state to state but also from county to county!
