Pro-wine groups spend $1.16 million in October

photo A sign in a Kroger supermarket in Nashville urges shoppers to sign up for a group urging wine sales in grocery stores.

Pro wine groupsWho wants wine?These local municipalities will be voting Tuesday whether to allow wine sales in grocery stores:• Chattanooga• Collegedale• East Ridge> Lakesite• Red Bank• Signal MountainSource: Hamilton County Election CommissionElections• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.• Remember to bring a photo ID to the polling place.• If you don't know where your voting precinct is, check your voter registration card or call your county election commission.

NASHVILLE - Proponents of wine sales in Tennessee grocery stores spent $1.16 million in October to persuade voters in 78 towns and cities to vote yes in Tuesday's election.

Organizers of the Red, White and Food campaign reported spending $630,000 on television from Oct. 1 to Oct. 25, according to campaign finance disclosures provided by the group to the Times Free Press on Friday.

Another $230,000 went for radio ads, $150,000 was spent on direct mail and $29,000 on phone banking.

Six local municipalities will see the wine referendum on their ballots, as will voters in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and dozens of other communities.

"Our efforts in this final stage of the campaign are focused solely on educating the municipalities' supporters about this question at the end of their ballot, which asks voters to answer whether they are for or against these wine sales," Red, White and Food campaign manager Suzie Alcorn said in a statement.

"This is the last step for voters in these Tennessee communities who support the issue," Alcorn added. "If they want to buy wine where they shop for food, they must vote for wine on Election Day, Nov. 4."

The campaign's third-quarter funding came entirely from retail grocery store chains such as Bi-Lo and Publix. In October, according to the organization's disclosure, retail giant Wal-Mart kicked in $332,000.

The television ads feature a series of well-dressed, food-store shoppers, many with children in tow, looking for wine and becoming confused because they can't find it on shelves.

"We're busy people," a voiceover says in one ad as a series of shoppers ask, "Where's the wine?"

Getting the question to a vote took seven years and pro-wine forces had to overcome fierce opposition from the state's powerful liquor retail store and liquor-distributors' lobbies, as well as by some lawmakers who generally oppose alcohol.

Even if grocery sales are approved, sales won't kick in until mid-2016, although powerful Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey hopes he can get that changed to the middle of next year.

Meanwhile, the liquor industry managed to insert a provision into the law mandating a stiff 20 percent markup from the wholesale to retail price of wine.Ramsey, who doesn't drink, said that's unfair to consumers and wants it changed as well.

Contact staff writer Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550.

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