The OLCC does it again
Monday, July 28, 2008
I'm not a big fan of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission as it is, but the OLCC really got it wrong this time. John and Judi Stuart opened AgriVino, a wine tasting room and retail business, on their property near Carlton, Oregon. AgriVino was based on the idea that visitors could taste and learn more about Yamhill Wine Country before going out to individual wineries. The business plan was centered around the Enomatic wine dispensing machine (pictured above). The customer uses a card to obtain samples from the machine. These cards would be sold by an employee licensed by the OLCC at AgriVino. The OLCC has determined that this qualifies as “self service” and violates a statute that states, “Any person employed by a licensee of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission who participates in any manner in the mixing, selling or service of alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises where served or sold shall have a valid service permit issued by the commission.”
This is where the stupidity comes in: The machine dispenses a maximum of 10 1oz. samples in two hours... this equals one and a half glasses of wine in two hours. I can purchase a bottle of wine at a restaurant and drink it all myself and that seems to be OK with the OLCC, but a glass and a half obtained from a machine is not. Seriously? There is a licensed person monitoring everything and in charge of selling the wine cards so I fail to see the issue. Unfortunately, the OLCC is too blind to see the idiocy of this and is too stubborn to change its mind. And they wonder why no one likes them...
Posted byJen at 8:59 PM
Great Info. Thanks!