Get your holiday hooch early

HARRISBURG – Those who are planning to celebrate the holidays with wine and spirits should plan ahead, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

“November and December are typically the busiest months of the year in Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores, so we ask our customers to plan ahead and stay safe when shopping this unique holiday season,” said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. “We know that wines and spirits are an enjoyable aspect of many holiday celebrations, and we want to make sure our customers and our employees can enjoy a safe, healthy, happy holiday season.”

Throughout the holidays, FW&GS stores will continue to limit the number of customers in the store at any time, capping the number of people (employees and customers) in every location to ensure social distancing and crowd limitations can be maintained appropriately.

Customers wishing to shop inside a FW&GS store are encouraged to avoid crowds by shopping during off-peak hours, like mid-morning and early afternoon, and to allow extra time for their visits, as there may be a wait to get into the store.

The first hour each store is open each day will continue to be reserved for customers at high risk for COVID-19, including those 65 years of age and older. Voluntary compliance from all customers is encouraged in the interest of protecting the health and safety of our most vulnerable community members.

Customers and employees will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing by staying 6 feet apart, guided by signage throughout the stores.

Signage will also encourage customers to follow traffic flow guidance and refrain from touching products unless they intend to buy them.

All FW&GS employees are provided with masks, gloves, and frequent opportunities to wash their hands. Store employees will perform enhanced and frequent cleaning and disinfecting, and store hours will be modified to ensure appropriate time for cleaning and restocking.

All sales are final, and no returns will be accepted until further notice.

Customers who are unable to adhere to in-store safety measures due to medical conditions and those who simply prefer a contact-free experience can continue to use the curbside pickup service, which continues to be available at every FW&GS store. Contact a store to place an order and arrange for curbside pickup.

Customers can also shop a wide selection of wines and spirits 24/7 from the comfort of their homes at FWGS.com. They can order Chairman’s Selection® products, online exclusives, highly rated products, and more.

Online orders can be shipped to home or business addresses. Online orders over $99 will be shipped for free to any non-store address.

Customers shopping online are also encouraged to place their orders as early as possible, as many national retailers and shippers are predicting record shipping levels this year.