Rep. Introduces Bill Allowing PA Wineries To Partner With BYOB Restaurants For Wine Sales

Update: 9/28/21, 9:20 AM: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that the proper name of the state-run liquor stores are Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores. The article also now includes comments from a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokesperson.

PERKIOMEN VALLEY, PA — Newly proposed legislation would allow certain wineries in Pennsylvania to sell wine to diners at BYOB restaurants.

State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-146, introduced the legislation, which he says would benefit small Pennsylvania wineries, dining patrons and establishments that are set up as BYOB, or Bring Your Own Bottle, basically restaurants that do not possess licenses for alcohol sales.

"Our small local restaurants are a foundation of our communities and provide a wonderful place for people to come together," Ciresi said in a statement. "Sometimes diners will go out to a restaurant and not realize it is BYOB. Though the restaurant might wish to provide wine to its patrons, it can't afford to purchase a liquor license which costs thousands of dollars."

Ciresi says his bill would allow a BYOB establishment to collaborate with a local limited winery to sell wine to customers so they can have a drink with their meal.

"My goal is to support our small local restaurants, which are still trying to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, and our growing Pennsylvania winery industry, as well as to enhance our diners' patronage of local restaurants," Ciresi said in his statement. "

The proposed legislation would allow limited wineries to obtain an off-premises catering permit that they could then use to partner with community restaurants, according to Ciresi's office.

Pennsylvania is long known for having some of the most archaic and restrictive alcohol laws in the United States. It wasn't until extremely recently that beer and wine sales were expanded to businesses like groceries stores, places at which customers in many other states have been able to obtain alcohol for many years.

For decades, Pennsylvania was one of the only states in the nation that had a monopoly on most alcohol sales, with patrons only able to obtain wine and liquor at state-run-establishments known as Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores. Here, they are colloquially known as 'State Stores.'

Beer was available at places known as 'beer distributors,' but patrons were only allowed to buy an entire case. Six-packs were available at local bars and delis, albeit with a very high retail markup.

While beer and wine can now be obtained at some private businesses like supermarkets, the state still has a total monopoly on liquor sales, making it somewhat of an outlier in the country. While not the majority, there are 17 other "control jurisdictions" across the U.S., according to Shawn Kelly, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Asked about the PLCB's feelings about the proposed bill, Kelly said the board does not comment on pending legislation, but merely implements whatever the legislature passes, and the governor signs into law.

Pennsylvania has attempted to privatize the state liquor system over the last several years, but bills often languished in the legislature. One bill to privatize the State Stores made it to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk back in 2015, but he vetoed the legislation. What ended up passing instead was the compromise that we see today — allowing beer and wine sales in grocery stores.

The state-run liquor issue again reared its head during the early days of the pandemic when Gov. Wolf ordered State Stores to close down for a weeks-long period amid growing COVID-19 concerns. The move felt some backlash from customers since hard liquor is still only available in the State Stores.