Total Wine & More, the liquor retailer suing the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) over the state’s minimum alcohol pricing laws, has agreed to halt advertising and sales of its products under that minimum, and will pay a $37,500 fine, the DCP announced on Sept. 1.
“Immediately upon learning that Total Wine & More was advertising and selling products below what is permitted by the state”™s minimum price rules, DCP”™s Liquor Control Division opened an investigation,” said Commissioner Jonathan Harris. “I am pleased that, through the hard work of many people at DCP, we were able to resolve this issue swiftly, and I appreciate that Total Wine worked with us to come to an agreement.”
The agreement does not affect Total Wine”™s lawsuit challenging the law. A second retailer, BevMax, is also under investigation by the DCP after it said that it too would sell liquor for less than the minimum allowed. BevMax is not part of the lawsuit.
