Dry Big Y Store Sells Kits to Make Wine

JULIE GALLAGHER

LUDLOW, Mass. — Wine sales may be off limits at most Big Y stores, but a single unit here is experimenting with the next best thing: wine-making kits.

“Hey winemakers! Did you know we sell all you need to make your own wine? Supplies, grapes and juice, we’ve got what you need!” states Big Y on Facebook and Twitter.

The $72 kits include the equipment to make six gallons of wine. Grapes and juice are sold separately.

Given the small quantity the kits yield, Big Y recommends using juice instead of grapes. It sells 6-gallon buckets of zinfandel grape juice and varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chardonnay and others costing around $50 each.

As is the case in most stores in Massachusetts where a chain can hold just three liquor licenses, wine sales are prohibited in the Ludlow Big Y. Despite the challenge, the store has found a way to tap shoppers’ love of wine. With fermentation and aging taking several months, it seems to have timed its launch to the forthcoming holidays.

The kits come as Americans are investing in single-cup coffee makers and other gadgets that support homemade beverage prep. “When you have the ability to see what you’re doing with your own hands it’s kind of an empowerment,” said Tom Pirko, president of Bevmark.