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Philadelphia Inquirer: Former LCB chief comes out in favor of privatizing State Stores

The man who once had the greatest say over what alcohol Pennsylvanians could drink has thrown his support behind the effort to take that control away from government and end the State Store system.

Jonathan Newman, the former chairman of the Liquor Control Board, said Tuesday that “the stars are perfectly aligned” to privatize the sale of wine and liquor in Pennsylvania – an endeavor that has failed under three previous governors. “This is the year change is going to happen,” Newman said during a news conference at the Wine School of Philadelphia.

Newman joined House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) and State Rep. Tom Killion (R., Delaware), the sponsors of the bill to privatize the LCB’s wholesale and retail operations.

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The Phoenix: Wine, Wit and Wisdom

The festivities began with a sponsors’ reception, and featured speaker Keith Wallace, owner of The Wine School of Philadelphia. “We do charity events all of the time because they are fun,” said Wallace. “The people in Phoenixville are open-minded, and it was an honor to be here.”
Wallace said that people are becoming more and more curious about wine. “I like that so I can give them more information about wine,” he said. “They are enthusiastic and have a lot of good questions.”

Wallace had 125 bottles of wine in tow, and said he usually brings 25 percent more just in case. “We opened almost all of them,” he said. “We try to bring a half a bottle per person, which equals three glasses total. It’s about keeping everyone happy so they can drive home.”

Associated Press: Taking wine as gift shouldn’t be a chore

It’s a look wine shop clerks know well. That overwhelmed, glassy-eyed stare that afflicts people as they wade through aisle after aisle of wine in search of the right bottle to bring to a party.

But arming yourself with a little advice and doing a bit of planning can make it easy to break out of the wine shop stupor and get the right wine for the right event for the right price.

Step 1: Relax. It’s just wine. And most shops are jammed with great $10 bottles, so it’s hard to make an awful choice.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Inquirer: Former LCB chief comes out in favor of privatizing State Stores

The story was originally published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 03, 2011. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes.  It is intended to offer insight into the history of Wine …

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Frontpage Hero for Wine School of Philadelphia

Philippe Collotte 2009 Marsannay les Champsalomon

A remarkably aristocratic Burgundy, remarkable especially considering the price point (Burgundy is the bizarro world of wine, in which spending under $30 usually gets you an average everyday bottle). The wine boasts deep …

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Inquirer: Not all are toasting changes uncorked by LCB

It is a case of vintage revenge. Wine merchants in Delaware and South Jersey are now clearing shelf space for their old nemesis: Jonathan Newman, former chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The “xChairman Selections,” as one shop calls them, are the discounted wines that Newman’s new company will introduce in Pennsylvania border states this month.

Newman had risen to the unlikely status of folk hero among Pennsylvania wine lovers, partly because of his celebrated Chairman’s Selection specials. But one year ago, he resigned in protest after Gov. Rendell’s controversial appointment of Joe Conti as chief executive officer of the LCB.

While Newman’s entry into the private sector is intriguing the sip-and-swirl crowd, it also casts a spotlight back on the LCB. The $1.69 billion-a-year agency has been the subject of skepticism and upheaval since Newman left.

Frontpage Hero for Wine School of Philadelphia

Domaine De La Bastide Blanche 2009 Bandol

For the sheer force of fruit and a delivery system of nitro-fueled tannin, nothing matches a Bandol. Creme de cassis, mocha, and sandalwood flavors are beautiful and temper the aggressiveness of …

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Associated Press: Wine vending machines make their debut

Numerous attempts at reform have been turned back by special interests intent on keeping their slice of the pie. So simply stocking Chianti and cabernet on supermarket shelves is not an option under the state’s post-Prohibition liquor laws. The liquor board has tried to be more consumer-friendly in recent years, including opening 19 full-service state stores in supermarkets. The board touts the kiosks as another step toward modernization – “an added level of convenience in today’s busy society,” liquor board Chairman Patrick Stapleton said in a statement.

Not everyone is swallowing that line. Craig Wolf, president and CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, questioned the machines’ efficacy in preventing sales to minors.

Keith Wallace, president and founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia, described the kiosks as well-intentioned failures with limited selections and overtones of Big Brother. “The process is cumbersome and assumes the worst in Pennsylvania’s wine consumers – that we are a bunch of conniving underage drunks,” Wallace wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “(Liquor board) members are clearly detached from reality if they think these machines offer any value to the consumer.”

Frontpage Hero for Wine School of Philadelphia

Pierre Amadieu 2009 “Romaine Machotte” Gigondas

Gigondas is one of the most complex wine regions in France, terroir-wise. Some in the valley are remarkably similar to the princely Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some have the imposing structure of the Hermitage. …

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