Pennsylvania discontinues in-house wine brand

HARRISBURG — The state's highly controversial in-house brand of wine known as Tableleaf will disappear from stores, a top Liquor Control Board official said on Wednesday.

The wine, which quietly debuted in March 2011, sparked a flurry of criticism in 2012 when the Tribune-Review revealed officials' conflicting stories about how the brand was established.

Those critics, including some lawmakers, industry officials and others, questioned why an agency charged with regulating the sale of wine and spirits in the state is in the business of making its own. The LCB controls the wholesale and retail sales of wines and spirits.

LCB Chairman Joseph “Skip” Brion said during a Senate budget hearing on Wednesday afternoon that the agency has discontinued the wine and will sell down its inventory until it's gone.

“The Tableleaf brand will no longer be on our shelves once everything's sold,” said Brion. “The in-house labels are being phased out … as of this morning.”

Brion, who joined the board after the in-house brands were launched, said early on that he did not believe the agency needed its own brand of wine.

At the LCB's meeting earlier in the day, board members approved price cuts of $2 to $3 per bottle for six varieties of Tableleaf wines.

Tableleaf cabernet, chardonnay, merlot and pinot grigio will sell for $5.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. The larger 1.5-liter bottles of sweet red and white zinfandel will sell for $9.99 each.

“We've taken a price reduction approach to try to push” the products to sell out, said John Metzger, acting executive director of the LCB.

Officials could not say how many cases of Tableleaf remain and how long the wines will be available in state stores.

“Tableleaf” was originally trademarked by the LCB for use as the new name for state wine and spirits stores. When that idea faltered, the agency decided to use the name for its own brand of wine.

The LCB went on to develop seven other in-house labels and spent thousands to promote the brands. The fate of those brands has not been determined.

Vinestone boxed wines, another in-house label, were discontinued last year. The boxes, featuring a multi-colored, mosaic-style tree, can still be found on store shelves.

Kari Andren is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-850-2856 or kandren@tribweb.com