There was one question not asked, and certainly not answered, at Penticton city council’s public hearing Monday night, as council listened to public input on the issue of wine in grocery stores.
The fact of wine coming into grocery stores is pretty much a done deal. Save-On Foods, the only chain to have come forward with their plans for a wine aisle in Penticton, will no doubt have completed the plans before very long.
If figures being bandied about are correct, is it unlikely to have a disastrous effect on other liquor outlets. According to the province, VQA wines account for less than 10 per cent of total liquor sales.
Nor is it likely many shoppers will change their grocery shopping habits to take advantage of a wine aisle. The majority will likely continue to shop at their preferred store and visit whatever liquor store is nearest — usually just across the parking lot.
The focus instead should be on preserving Penticton’s VQA wine store; the first, and many say, still the best. There are only about 20 VQA licences in the province, of which Save-On Foods has already purchased several.
That is the question that isn’t being asked: what will the effect be on the Wine Information Centre?
Coun. Campbell Watt made the point that Penticton isn’t like other areas of the province. We have an image to protect, of a region filled with boutique wineries to explore and the Wine Information Centre plays a key role in maintaining that image.
Penticton is Wine Country, and the gateway to some of the province’s best wine growing regions. The Wine Information Centre provides knowledgable staff, with an interest in promoting local wines and wineries to tourists and residents alike. As we move forward, it is important we support and protect this unique institution.
