Longmont's city's rules are much tighter than state law, and that has some liquor store owners hoping City Council revisits the issue in 2008.
"They've been going great," said R.T. Magley, general manager at Twin Peaks Liquor. "We get quite a few people in every Saturday because people know we do them every Saturday."
Longmont stores are limited to 26 tastings a year based on the year of the store's liquor license, not the calendar year.
Since the law passed in July, Twin Peaks has been able to host a tasting every week. But when the store's new license year starts in February, the store will have to cut back to doing them every other week, Magley said.
"I think we will probably go back to City Council and try to increase the frequency, because it might affect our turno! ut if we have to go to only (every other week)," he said, adding that the tastings have had a positive effect on the store's bottom line.
Twin Peaks' tastings have focused mostly on wine, Magley said. Some feature wine from a particular vineyard or country. There have been a few beer tastings as well, he said.
Some featured wines have been a hit with customers. Others draw a poor response, helping store management with inventory control, Magley said. If people don't like a particular wine, he knows not to re-order that brand.
Paul Baryames, owner of PJ's Wine & Spirits, said he's taking a "wait-and-see" approach to the new law.
One of the city's restrictions is that a tastings schedule must be provided to the city's liquor licensing authority in advance.
Baryames said that is often impractical for him. He'll sometimes get calls from a distributor telling him a certain winemaker will be passing through the area and could make an appearance in his store.
! But the short notice prevents him from getting paperwork to t! he city in time, and an opportunity is lost.
Instead, Baryames said, he's been holding wine dinners at Tortuga's restaurant - events that have been successful and are not covered under the city's tastings ordinance.
"I'd love it if the city was a little less restrictive," Baryames said.
The state passed its tastings law three years ago. While Longmont took until July to enact its local ordinance, several surrounding communities passed ordinances much faster, local store owners say.
Longmont's ordinance mirrors the state law in some ways. Samples cannot exceed one ounce of beer or wine or one-half ounce of hard liquor, and employees serving customers must be specially trained.
But the state law allows for 104 tasting events per year, as opposed to Longmont's 26.
Deputy city clerk Angela Robles said aside from providing a tastings schedule, store owners must pay a $125 application fee and make an appearance before Longmont Municipal Court Judge Diana VanDeHey, who se! rves as the liquor licensing authority for the city.
Baryames feels the latter step is unnecessary, given that stores like his are already tightly regulated.
"To have to go in front of the liquor commission ... I think it would have been better if it was, 'Here's the state statute; you have to abide by it,'" he said.
Magley disagreed.
"I think that's a good thing - you have to go in front of the judge - because that way, (city officials) see that you understand the seriousness of it and are complying with the rules," Magley said.
Before enacting the rules, council members expressed concern about possible violations. But so far, liquor store owners who hold tastings have complied with city rules, Robles said.
Nancy Cook, owner of Tenacity Wine Shop in Prospect, has been holding tastings every other Thursday and said they've been quite successful.
"As they taste those wines, they usually buy them in the shop at the same time," Cook said, adding that there! 's another, indirect financial benefit to the tastings.
Whe! n she ho lds her events, she lays out cheese from Prospect's Capers & Co.
"That promotes some more businesses in my area," she said, adding that she is considering adding hors d'oeuvres from Two Dog Diner to her tastings menu. "Not that they can buy them here, but they can go across the street and buy them."
Tony Kindelspire can be reached at 303-684-5291 or tkindelspire@times-call.com. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com To find the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: www.HomeBusinessMoneyWizard.com
Source: http://www.timescall.com/tcBusiness/business-story.asp?ID=4986
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