Being 21 affords a person all sorts of nice perks, such as being able to order wine and flowers and have them shipped home for your mother's birthday.
That is, unless you live in Pennsylvania.
It may not seem like such a big deal, but the inability to ship my online purchase home to a Philadelphia suburb is a sad hallmark of this state's liquor laws. And it shows how the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is not only out of control, but out of touch.
The sad thing is, after a series of laws and opinions issued in 2005, shipping online-purchased wine to Pennsylvania is permitted by law, but some online retailers still refuse because of the legal limbo regarding the subject.
Sorry mom -- no merlot for you.
With its monopoly over every Wine & Spirits store, the PLCB controls which products you can buy, when and where you can buy them, and how much it would like you to pay. Here's a hint, the price tag includes a 14 percent liquor tax, courtesy of Harrisburg.
A newly proposed Pa. law restricting online wine purchases goes beyond sheer legislative overreaching. The law, proposed by Rep. Paul Costa, D-Allegheny, would limit direct shipping abilities to out-of-state wineries that produce 80,000 gallons of wine a year or less.
The law's supporters say it will give business back to Pennsylvania wineries that can't compete with out-of-state producers. My response? Either make better wine or get out of the business; it's called capitalism.
Thirty-five other states allow direct shipping, and somehow they get along just fine.
Residents are welcome to receive their wine bought online, the PLCB says, as long as they ship their purchases to their local state store first for application of the liquor tax, six percent sales tax and an extra $4.50 in handling fees.
After all, we wouldn't want Pennsylvania to lose revenue -- though for all the taxing so far, you'd think the powers that be could at least fix up our roads without tolling I-80 or selling the turnpike.
The most ridiculous argument for direct shipping limits comes from interest groups that claim online wine sales are another way minors can procure liquor away from the state's watchful eye.
OK, I understand the concern. But when I meet a 16-year-old who will shell out $30 (plus shipping) for a California Chardonnay instead of asking an older friend to buy a $12 handle of vodka, I'll eat my shorts.
Whether Pennsylvania's approach is doing more to keep booze away from kids is difficult to measure, but having been a minor myself in a college town, I'd say we still have a long way to come.
It's not minors this proposed law would deter, it's wine enthusiasts who want the freedom of buying what they want when they want it, and probably for less money. It's much easier to play the "save the children" card to blind people to the fact that the state is simply attempting to maintain an unfair monopoly.
So, fellow wine-lovers, take the outrage you save for your view on Iraq or abortion rights and direct it at your state government. Tell Paul Costa his law is a stupid idea and a mockery of our country's economic principles.
Better yet, tell him you want to talk about it over drinks.
