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Buying wine at the grocery store has become a reality for the City of Kelowna.
Premier Christy Clark was on hand to purchase the first bottle of B.C. wine now available at the Save-on-Foods grocery store in Kelowna.
As of April 1st, 2015, new regulations have been in effect in British Columbia that allows BC wines, beer and sake to be purchased at grocery stores throughout the province.
“We agreed grocery stores should be allowed to sell wine as long as it is a 100 per cent B.C. product,” said Premier Clark at a press conference on Thursday.
The Overwaitea Food Group is offering B.C. wines at their stores in five locations across B.C, most recently in Kelowna. Customers will now have the convenience of doing their grocery shopping and buying wine at the same location.
The Save-on-Foods in Kelowna will sell about 1,000 different B.C. wine labels, more than any other location in the world. The store also holds a number of B.C. wine labels where the only other place to purchase a bottle is the winery itself.
“We’re excited to be able to pair high-quality B.C. wines with the groceries that you buy in the stores every day,” said Overwaitea Food Group president, Darrell Jones.
“We want to be able to provide a level of convenience for our customers right here in Kelowna and across the province.”
Beginning Thursday, grocery stores will have the chance to bid on six opportunities to apply for a licence to sell B.C. wine, cider and sake on grocery store shelves. Stores must meet specified regulations and put down a $25,000 deposit.
A number of regulations are in place for grocery stores wanting to get in on the action. A one-kilometer rule is in place that states one cannot move a licence into a new area within one kilometer of an existing licence. Grocery stores in B.C. selling wine on their shelves will also have separate cashiers in order to “safeguard health and safety and ensure restricted access to alcohol by minors.”
Premier Clark shared her excitement Thursday in Kelowna, stating the new laws not only modernize liquor purchasing, but also celebrates the great wines B.C. has to offer.
She left Save-on-Foods having been the first person to buy a bottle of wine at the Kelowna location, purchasing a bottle from Arrowleaf Winery located in Lake Country.
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