Wine In Groceries Clears Another Hurdle: Getting On The Ballot

Nashville voters will decide in November whether to let grocery stores sell wine. Credit: Red White and Food

Nashvillians will decide in November whether to let grocery stores sell wine, the Davidson County Election Commission announced on Thursday. Nashville joins more than 60 cities that will be voting on the issue.

Mom-and-pop liquor stores have long fought the change, fearing it would put them out of business. Other critics have argued it could increase drunken driving. Kroger spokeswoman Melissa Eads dismisses these allegations. From the customer standpoint, it’s about convenience, she says, adding that the 40,000 signatures they collected at stores across Metro is a testament to that support.

“There’s still one step left, and that is to show up at the polls in November and vote ‘yes,’ and then we look forward to being able to sell wine in our stores come July 2016.”

So even if it passes, there’s a two-year implementation gap. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has said that the legislature might revisit the lag time between a law passing and when it actually starts.