[quote=Navydoc]This thread reminded me how much I miss being able to buy wine at Costco (or the supermarket, convenience store etc.) Damn Maryland State Stores. Do you guys know how much of a pain in the ass it is to be an alcoholic in this state?
Oh, and my favorite deal under $50 is 12 months of Xbox live for $49.99. Shooting my friends is such great stress relief.[/quote]
You’ll get over it, Navydoc. You just didn’t follow the correct transfer sequence. I moved here (Annapolis) from Pennsylvania. Now that’s a pain in the ass for which you’ll have to consult a proctologist. They sell wine and hard liquor at State Stores. However, if you want beer, you have to go to a quaint little business called a “beer distributor”. I don’t know about now, but when I lived there, drive-in windows weren’t permitted.
Back to the State Stores: They really ARE state stores. The state owns them, state employees “run” them (after a fashion), and even worse…state employees decide what’s sold there. So choice of neighborhood isn’t just about keeping up with the Joneses. It’s about being able to get a wine other than Almaden chablis, Boones Farm, or Manischewitz Concord Grape. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, they usually carry a full complement of Gallo wines (or, as I prefer to call them, Gall-O).
So, count your blessings, Navydoc. Maryland at least has individually-owned wine stores, and some of them have selections that are quite good. Many have staff that know a little somethin’-somethin’ about wine. And they can be fairly competitive in price (another little problem with the Pennsy system. I used to hate having to pay top dollar for my Mateus rose.)
