Total Wine
Credit: Total Wine
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

US retailer Total Wine has agreed to pay a fine and stop selling wines below minimum price in one US state following an investigation by officials.

Total Wine & More will pay $37,500 to the government of Connecticut after breaking the US state’s minimum pricing rules.

Connecticut’s Liquor Control Act does not allow retailers to sell wines, beer and spirits below the price paid to acquire the drinks from distributors.

The state’s department of consumer protection said this month that it has fast-tracked an investigation into Total Wine.

It said Total Wine broke the rules. The retailer agreed to stop advertising and selling wines below cost.

But, the case has not been as simple as it sounds.

There have been several attempts to scrap the minimum pricing law in Connecticut.

Total Wine filed a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut in August this year. It said the state’s alcohol laws were out-of-date and were forcing consumers to pay more than necessary.

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.