Snellville approves limited wine, liquor changes

Snellville city leaders once again opened the tap on the hot-button issue of alcohol, making two changes to its beverage ordinance before a packed crowd Monday night.

More than 150 residents filled City Hall chambers as the council voted 3-2 to allow wine tastings at a local business and voted 4-1 to permit liquor-by-the-drink sales at a bowling alley. Councilman Robert Jenkins was absent from the meeting.

The action comes almost two months after city leaders rejected Sunday liquor-by-the-drink sales at local restaurants.

Councilman Tod Warner, who pushed the two measures Monday, said the intent of the wine tasting was to allow a struggling business owner to use his body of knowledge to stay afloat.

To allay fears of customers drinking in mass quantities, Warner said wine aficionados often sip the wine, swirl it in their mouths and spit it out.

But Councilman Warren Auld objected to the ordinance, particularly a last-minute change that opened the door for convenience stores to conduct wine tastings. “[The ordinance] is too loosely drawn and has too many problems with it,” Auld said.

However, Warner said, “if it turns out this opens the floodgates for every convenience store and grocery store to have wine tastings, I’m sure it’s something we can revisit.”

But some residents expressed concerns as well.

Larry Rutledge, a deacon at Snellville First Baptist Church, pleaded with the council not to make alcohol more accessible.

“[Alcohol] is the most destructive substance we have in this country,” Rutledge said. “I would hope and pray that as Christians … you would stand up and be against this thing.”

That struck a cord with resident Karl Bostick, who collects wines.

“I’m a Christian, and I drink wine,” Bostick said. “They are small samples, so that you have the ability to taste a bottle of wine before you purchase it. This is not a license to party.”

A bowling alley also stood to benefit from Monday’s action. Snellville Lanes, which currently can serve only beer and wine, now can offer liquor by the drink, putting the bowling alley in a better position to compete with others in Gwinnett County, Warner said.

Warner, who lost his cousin to a drunken driver, said he understands the pain surrounding alcohol.

“This ordinance does not say liquor is a good thing,” Warner said. “But it’s not, in my opinion, government’s place to tell you you should not have a drink.”