Effort underway to get wine on Nolensville grocery store shelves

NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – An effort is underway to get wine on grocery store shelves in Nolensville.

At its regular meeting on June 6, the Nolensville Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution to support putting a referendum to allow wine in grocery stores on the ballot in November. The action was motivated by recent announcements by grocery store chains that will build new supermarkets in Nolensville, officials said in a media release.

“Understanding that a signature-gathering campaign to authorize the referendum is underway, the Board of Commissioners threw its support behind the effort to put the question of wine in retail food stores to Nolensville voters,” the release said. “The 2014 state act allowing grocery stores to sell wine requires that a municipality approved food store wine sales within its boundaries through the referendum process.”

Before a municipality can conduct a Wine in Grocery Stores (“WIGS”) referendum, it must already have approved retail package stores and/or liquor by the drink. Nolensville voters previously approved both measures in earlier referendums, the release said.

The resolution noted that “it is generally understood that wine and food complement each other and that consummation of one can enhance the enjoyment of the other,” and that “shoppers who enjoy pairing wine with food prepared at home appreciate the convenience of the ability to purchase wine where they buy their food.”

For the WIGS referendum to qualify for the November election, 600 registered Nolensville voters must sign a petition requesting the ballot measure.

“Since WIGS took effect in 2016″, grocery shoppers across Tennessee have enjoyed the convenience of buying wine where they buy their food”, said Rob Ikard, president of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association. “Nolensville shoppers are looking forward to that same convenience when their new grocery stores open.

You can sign the petition here.