Another Brew-On-Premise Article

[canuck]

Even living here in neighbouring NB it seems completely fawking archaic to me. We have quite a few LHBS to buy wine kits locally, and I can't think of one that doesn't have the option to brew on premise. IMHO, if you didn't offer that service here, you'd be out of business.

[jacinthebox]

Are they just renting space for people to make their own wine?...I don't see an issue with this.

Or are they making it, bottling it, and providing a finished wine?

old or not, you can't provide a finished product unless you have a license...and pay the Liquor tax

[LeafMan66_67]

... the Herald may not have quoted all he said, because in the CBC interview he pointed out that the definition of "liquor" (in the liquor control act) is so broad that it can include, literally, anything, but he may also never have said that to the Herald reporter. From memory (but you can find it somewhere here, because I dug it up at the time Harrington was convicted), liquor is defined as "any substance which, when combined with water, sugar and/or yeast, can create an alcoholic beverage". The problem with this definition - in these particular cases - of course, is that everything in their store is considered a "liquor", so he's already guilty whether it's currently fermenting or not.

From the Liquor Control Act:

(k) "liquor" means and includes any alcohol, alcoholic, spirituous, vinous, fermented malt or other intoxicating liquor or combination of liquors and mixed liquor a part of which is spirituous, vinous, fermented or otherwise intoxicating and all drinks or drinkable liquids and all preparations or mixtures, whether liquid or solid, capable of human consumption which are intoxicating, and any compound, mixture or preparation whether in solid or liquid form to which the addition of water or any other liquid or any substance will produce intoxicating liquor;

[Stusbrews]

So festabrew and wine kits are themselves illegal in NS....while seperate AG ingredients are not..
but maybe I read it wrong....selling ingredients for bread may also be illegal grains sugar,yeast..

[bluenose]

That was kinda fun.

Well done. Do we have permission to share this outside the forum?

[S-04]

Sure, share away.

[bluenose]

I think cbc radio will be talking about this during maritime morning

[derek]

So festabrew and wine kits are themselves illegal in NS....while seperate AG ingredients are not..
but maybe I read it wrong....selling ingredients for bread may also be illegal grains sugar,yeast..

Strictly speaking all the ingredients - for wine, beer, bread, or practically anything else in the supermarket meet the definition of "liquor". It's that "addition of water ... or any substance" bit. I can take a block of wood, drop it in a pail, and then add water, sugar and yeast, and get alcohol. So now a chair is "liquor"!

[derek]

http://www.thesecretsofpainting.com/bopmadness.jpg
That was kinda fun.

Er... "premises"

[sleepyjamie]

So festabrew and wine kits are themselves illegal in NS....while seperate AG ingredients are not..
but maybe I read it wrong....selling ingredients for bread may also be illegal grains sugar,yeast..

Strictly speaking all the ingredients - for wine, beer, bread, or practically anything else in the supermarket meet the definition of "liquor". It's that "addition of water ... or any substance" bit. I can take a block of wood, drop it in a pail, and then add water, sugar and yeast, and get alcohol. So now a chair is "liquor"!

it could take it even farther to say the store itself is considered liquor as the airborne wild yeast can contribute to fermentation and alcohol.

[derek]

Are they just renting space for people to make their own wine?...I don't see an issue with this.

Yes, they are (they might assist - but the general rule everywhere else is that the customer must add the yeast, and I assume that's done here). So they're carefully not guilty of "making" liquor, but the liquor control act makes it illegal to store liquor for somebody else (without a liquor license, which they are never going to get).

[bluenose]

I'm not sure if Water N' Wine strictly follows the "customer adds the yeast" rule.

Even if they're not making alcohol, BOP's are definitely assisting in the production of alcohol, but I think it's a good service. Think of all the little old ladies that can't lift their carboys.

Maybe there's a business opportunity for in-house wine and beer making consultants/assistants won't help the apartment dwellers concerns, however.

[S-04]

Er... "premises"

I promise to fix it when I get home!

[derek]

Maybe there's a business opportunity for in-house wine and beer making consultants/assistants won't help the apartment dwellers concerns, however.

Brilliant! Just threatening to start that business would give some folks at MADD and NSLC heart attacks!

[bluenose]

might work as a red herring... divert their attention on something ridiculous in an effort to show how ridiculous they're being

[Dirt Chicken]

Maybe there's a business opportunity for in-house wine and beer making consultants/assistants won't help the apartment dwellers concerns, however.

Brilliant! Just threatening to start that business would give some folks at MADD and NSLC heart attacks!

Lets do it!!

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[sleepyjamie]

I'm not sure if Water N' Wine strictly follows the "customer adds the yeast" rule.

Even if they're not making alcohol, BOP's are definitely assisting in the production of alcohol, but I think it's a good service. Think of all the little old ladies that can't lift their carboys.

Maybe there's a business opportunity for in-house wine and beer making consultants/assistants won't help the apartment dwellers concerns, however.

The problem is the nslc wants the old ladies to shop at nslc.

[jacinthebox]

Are they just renting space for people to make their own wine?...I don't see an issue with this.

Yes, they are (they might assist - but the general rule everywhere else is that the customer must add the yeast, and I assume that's done here). So they're carefully not guilty of "making" liquor, but the liquor control act makes it illegal to store liquor for somebody else (without a liquor license, which they are never going to get).

I'm guessing this isn't always the case then...I witnessed a older lady come in, pay and leave...she was asking when she could come pick up her wine

[mr x]

Silly in-store winemaking rules safe here

IF WE HELD a Nova Scotia Idol contest to pick The Most Obsessive Enforcement of the Silliest Rule, the choice would be easy.

The winner would have to be the province’s crackdown on stores that help customers use their store-purchased wine kits to make wine on the premises.

This service — and it is a service for people who haven’t space for winemaking at home or who lack the physical capacity to manage the lifting involved — is perfectly legal in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

There’s no evidence this winemaking option has devastated provincial liquor revenues or damaged the social fabric in those provinces.

It’s just a smart business innovation serving a niche market — no different than the new Tire Valet franchise in Halifax that will change your tires or install new ones in your driveway.

But helping customers make wine kits is treated as a form of bootlegging by the Nova Scotia government and its Crown-owned Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation.

The corporation is in court seeking an order to shut down two U-vint retailers, one of whom, Ross Harrington of Halifax, has been offering the service and fighting NSLC for years.

And Finance Minister Maureen MacDonald, who is responsible for NSLC, says it’s not a priority for her to change the policy or the law.

The minister may not think this is important. But it is. Getting rid of silly regulations should always be a priority. Any time a senior minister fails to do that, or adopts a can’t-be-bothered attitude, the whole business community, not just those directly affected, takes notice.

Persisting in foolish rules shouts from the rooftops that you are not really serious about creating a healthy, competitive and innovative business environment. It is highly effective don’t-invest-here marketing.

Ms. MacDonald also told The Chronicle Herald last week she doesn’t know why Nova Scotia hasn’t followed other provinces in allowing in-store U-vinting. Good grief. If small retailers are being dragged into court, the minister responsible for the policy should at least know why this is supposed to be necessary.

But then, the obvious answer is: It isn’t necessary and it isn’t smart policy either.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorials ... -safe-here" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jacinthebox]

lol...shows Ross de-gassing someones wine...

[mr x]

I was happy they have a new photo, lol. Comments rip the NDP 100%.

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[mr x]

Something on CBC radio at 5:30.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Wine shop owner: province not protecting small shops

The owner of a small wine kit shop in Spryfield says he's upset the provincial government isn't stepping in to stop a fight between the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and some private wine shops.

The liquor corporation wants to shut down three stores that allow customers to make and bottle their wine on premises.

In court on Friday, a lawyer representing the NSLC suggested the action was, in part, to protect other wine kit sellers from unfair competition.

Dan Doherty, whose business was not targeted in the NSLC case, said he is disappointed Finance Minister Maureen MacDonald is taking a hands-off attitude.

"The government's response to this seems to be typical of their disdain for small business," said Doherty.

"I'm extremely disappointed in this government and the way they treat small business. If I was looking, if it was our group looking for $50 million for something they'd be right there handing it out, but when it comes to small business, no."

He said the U-Vint operations are not affecting his wine kit business.

The case will be back in court next month.

On-site brewing convenient
Dick Ohlhausen has been making his own wine for 30 years, partly because it's cheaper but also because he likes working with his hands.

"It was just something enjoyable and I was quite handy, liked to do things like that," he said.

He started in the basement of his home but now that he's living alone in an apartment he doesn't have room for all the equipment. Instead, he rents space and gear in a U-Vint store in Clayton Park.

He said he's not happy the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation is trying to shut it down.

"Oh I think it's terrible. You've got a small business, employing local people, very competitive, very good for me cause it's a good deal."

Ohlhausen said he hopes to continue making wine.

He'd like the provincial government to do what five other provinces have already done, to make in-store wine fermenting or beer brewing legal.

[mr x]

Nslc is on maritime morning.

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[sleepyjamie]

Nslc is on maritime morning.

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someone call in and tell them off.