Texas wineries call on Governor Abbott to relax operating restrictions

TEXAS – Texas’ alcohol manufacturing and retail businesses have struggled immensely since the pandemic, many fear that their final last call could come at any moment.

Bars and other similar establishments have received the lions’ share of attention for their opposition to the closure orders. But a group of wineries and distilleries are formally joining that group of businesses actively lobbying the governor to lower the barriers to operation.

Wineries and distilleries get most of their foot traffic from tasting room customers, but those have been closed along with bars in the wake of Abbott’s late-June executive order.

The line drawn by the state is a ratio of sales being alcohol-based. Establishments that make 51% or more of their profits from alcohol sales are mandated to cease all operations other than to-go or delivery services.

This was slightly adjusted in that businesses could revise their classification had they changed their operations, shifting more of their model to increase the percentage of profits that came from non-alcohol related sales. For example, many businesses fired up their kitchens and made more than they had previously food available for customers.

Source: The Texan