Press release from Red White and Food; November 5, 2014:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 5, 2014) – Organizers of the effort to allow the sale of wine in Tennessee food stores hailed the thousands of grassroots supporters and volunteers who helped propel the effort yesterday in all 78 eligible locations.
“This is truly a great day for Tennessee consumers,” said Susie Alcorn, campaign manager of Red White and Food, the nonprofit organization that supports allowing wine sales in Tennessee’s retail food stores.
“The voters have spoken, and the wine in retail food stores referendum has passed everywhere it appeared on the ballot. Red White and Food is grateful to its retail partners who supported this campaign on behalf of their customers, the legislative leadership who enabled Tennessee voters to have a voice and the many voters who showed overwhelming support for wine in retail food stores.”
Among the qualifying municipalities where the referendum passed were Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County, Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport. (A complete list of municipalities that passed the referendum appears at the end of this document.)
“Kroger couldn’t be happier with the results and for this long-awaited victory for our customers,” said Melissa Eads, the community relations manager for the Nashville division of Kroger. “We look forward to the day when they can finally buy a bottle of wine with their groceries – a convenience they have requested for years.”
Legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in March of this year was a compromise between retail food stores and liquor stores. Many liquor stores across the state began selling beer and party supplies on July 1 of this year as allowed by the new law.
The wine in retail food stores referendum appeared on the ballot in 78 qualifying municipalities across Tennessee. Petitions were filed in those communities this summer and were certified by the local election commissions to authorize the referendum. In the 78 communities where the wine referendum passed, most retail food stores will be able to sell wine beginning July 1, 2016.
Following is a complete list of the 78 municipalities where the wine in retail food stores referendum was passed. This list appears in alphabetical order by county. Multicounty cities or towns are indicated by asterisks.
Anderson County
Clinton
Norris
Oak Ridge**
Bedford County
Shelbyville
Blount County
Alcoa
Maryville
Bradley County
Cleveland
Carroll County
McKenzie
Carter County
Elizabethton
Cheatham County
Ashland City
Pleasant View
Cocke County
Newport
Coffee County
Manchester
Tullahoma
Cumberland County
Crossville
Unincorporated Cumberland County
Davidson County
Metro Nashville
Goodlettsville **
Dickson County
Burns
Dyer County
Dyersburg
Fayette County
Oakland
Greene County
Greeneville
Grundy County
Monteagle **
Hamblen County
Morristown
Hamilton County
Chattanooga
Collegedale
East Ridge
Lakesite
Red Bank
Signal Mountain
Hardin County
Savannah
Hawkins County
Church Hill
Rogersville
Henry County
Paris
Knox County
Farragut
Knoxville
Unincorporated Knox County
Loudon County
Lenoir City
Loudon
Madison County
Jackson
Maury County
Mount Pleasant
Spring Hill**
McMinn County
Athens
Etowah
Montgomery County
Clarksville
Obion County
Union City
Putnam County
Cookeville
Roane County
Harriman
Kingston
Robertson County
Coopertown
Rutherford County
Murfreesboro
Smyrna
Sevier County
Gatlinburg
Pigeon Forge
Sevierville
Shelby County
Arlington
Bartlett
Collierville
Germantown
Memphis
Millington
Sullivan County
Bristol
Kingsport**
Sumner County
Gallatin
Hendersonville
White House**
Tipton County
Atoka
Covington
Munford
Washington County
Johnson City**
Jonesborough
Weakley County
Martin
Williamson County
Brentwood
Fairview
Franklin
Thompson’s Station
Wilson County
Lebanon
Mount Juliet
