Loganville Allows Wine Tasting; Craft Beer Likely to Follow

After much debate, the voted at Thursday’s City Council meeting to allow for wine tastings in the city.

The original motion, by Councilman Skip Baliles, was altered to lower the cost of the permit to $100 a year. A committee meeting was scheduled to further amend the ordinance to possibly allow for craft beer tastings as well. Councilman Mark Kiddoo voted against it, saying he believed it would be better to hold off for a month and get it right first time. However, since the request had been made by the owner of Chef’s Pantry in order to compete with wine tastings in neighboring cities, the council voted to approve the wine tasting portion right away.

“In making this motion that we accept this ordinance, I personally feel that this is a chance for the council to speak to the business people of Loganville and let them know that if there is anything we can do to help them, we will,” Baliles said.

Councilmen Mike Jones and Dan Curry wanted it made known that they were voting for the ordinance against their own personal feelings about alcohol, but were doing so because their constituents had made it clear they were in support of it.

“I think we all see that this is 2012 and we either move ahead or we get left behind,” Mayor Ray Nunley said. “And if people want to taste wine, then we’ll let them taste wine.”

The city attorney also announced that the required number of signatures had been turned in for verification in the petition drive to get a referendum on the November ballot to allow for a package store in the city.