Chattanooga Wine Enthusiasts Receive Support From Publix and Food Lion For Wine In Grocery Stores

CHATTANOOGA,TN, (WDEF)-"It’s so much trouble to have your cart full of groceries and you’ve got to stop at another store and it’s hot and your ice cream is melting"

Sue Lowery of  Chattanooga Wine Club has campaigned to legislators, elected officials and supermarket managers in the hope she can buy wine in her local Bi-Lo or Publix by next year.

"People don’t understand that we have to get this one the ballot to be approved. In order to do that, each municipality and the city of Chattanooga need a target number of signatures"

The petition deadline is the first of August and dozens have already signed on at Publix on Brainerd Road.

Food Lion thinks shoppers should be allowed to vote and are supporting the campaigns led by both Sue and non-profit Red White and Food.

Benny Smith, Food Lion, "We are excited to give them the opportunity to support wine in retail food stores at Food Lion, in store petition campaigns in collaboration with other food stores"

Local wine stores say they are not concerned as they offer a wide range of products and expertise which they believe grocery stores will not

Graham Eischid, Dodge City Wines and Spirits, "We are very knowledgeable on our wines, if you are saying having duck for dinner we can pair that with a really nice Silver Oak"

With wine sourced from dozens of countries, Eischid is confident their sales will remain strong regardless if the petitions are successful.

"I think the grocery stores are going to be carrying the cheaper wines the big box ones, the won’t be able to carry the 600 wines that we have"

Campaigners are using social media to get their message out and say Chattanooga’s petition friendly shoppers are in support.

For More Information:

http://www.chattanoogawineclub.com/
http://redwhiteandfood.com/