With the right permit, Pa. businesses can deliver wine to your door
Restaurants and other independent businesses with Wine Expanded Permits, can deliver bottles of wine or pack them to go.
This has been a challenging month for wine drinkers who live in Pennsylvania. In the weeks since Gov. Tom Wolf shut down the state-run Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores, we’ve highlighted a number of options for Pennsylvania residents to legally obtain wine for home delivery, including Pa. wineries and out-of-state wineries that are licensed to ship directly, plus wine clubs that offer wine sales and memberships.
But there are other options for those venturing out to stock up on food and other supplies. Most Pennsylvanians are aware that many chain grocery stores are now licensed for retail wine sales in limited volumes through what is known as a “Wine Expanded Permit,” or WEP. This same permit is available to other independent businesses.
DiBruno Bros. sells wine and beer at their Rittenhouse, Italian Market, and Franklin Market locations. Many beer-focused retailers also sell wine, such as The Bottle Shop on East Passyunk, which offers local delivery. QuickSipDelivery.com, an e-commerce portal offering wine and beer represents a trio of Philly licensees — Hawthorne’s, The Cambridge, and Tio Flores — and serves residents of Center City and South Philly. 320 Market in Swarthmore and Media offers wine for in-store purchase only.
Many of the WEP-licensed businesses are primarily bars and restaurants, and with their normal dining and drinking activities shuttered, wine sales via WEP permits are a lifeline for these small business owners and their employees. Bistro Romano in Society Hill offers remarkable selection for curbside pickup at near retail pricing through their online store. Fishtown Social focuses on natural and organic wines through their bottle shop in back, while Jet Wine Bar on South Street offers a quirky mix of imports and local wines. Outside the city, Teresa’s Next Door and Cornerstone, both in Wayne, have become a lifeline for locals looking for wine to-go.
The list of WEP licensees includes fine dining establishments, too, so if you’re considering taking a break from cooking to order in a swanky meal from the likes of Nectar or Del Frisco’s, ask about their to-go wine offerings. You can find a handy list of wine-focused Philly restaurants that are still operating, most of which offer wine bottles to-go at PhillyWineCru.org.