I’ve been told that my appetites are too expensive for my own good. My dad always says I have champagne taste on a Coors Light budget. In fact, much of my income goes towards purchasing single malt scotch and French wine. Probably not the best use of financial resources, but we all have our vices, n’est-ce pas?

So when I heard that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario was shifting its focus towards higher-end wine, the connoisseur in me rejoiced: “Finally, I’ll be able to find that 2002 Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape without a trip to Vintages!” But then the student within me cringed.

After all, who hasn’t spent a Wednesday night or two chatting with friends about the hardships of the week over a bottle or two of eight-dollar vino verde,? And now the government liquor store wants to take this away from us? Qu’elle dommage!

Let’s ignore the fact that you can find perfectly drinkable wines for under $10, and no, they do not all come in a box (with the exception of those wineries that are marketing Tetra Paks as “eco-friendly”). The larger issue here is the state-owned monopoly on the sale of wine and spirits. It is time to end it.

A large amount of government revenue comes directly from the sale of liquor to citizens, and I say, good for us. We should tax wine and liquor, and use that money to fund our generous social programs. We should not, however, sacrifice our freedom to choose.

It is a fundamental principle of mercantile democracy that citizens are allowed to act as well-informed consumers. (And if political scientists are to be trusted—that technically means we live in a constitutional monarchy tempered with a socialist dictatorship, but let’s agree that for all intents and purposes, we govern ourselves democratically.) Well-informed consumers should have the democratic right to choose which stores to shop at. Right now, we have only one option—and they might stop carrying wines that many of us can actually afford.

Imagine a scenario in which the LCBO closes and independent vendors are allowed to sell their own wine and spirits. All of the sudden, I have a wide range of choices and a lot more freedom. If the local liquor store sells a bottle of Henry of Phelam Chardonnay for $15 and the Dominion carries it for $12, I can make the choice of where I want to buy it and live with the consequences. It also gives entrepreneurs an opportunity: there certainly is a market for upscale wine and spirits, but there will always be a place to buy cheap drinks.

So here’s what I propose: let’s vote to end the government monopoly on wine and spirits, and let vendors sell them. Then, levy a tax collected at the point of sale on the liquor or the wine to make up for the revenue lost by closing this monopoly. In the end, the consumers will benefit. Unfortunately, we might have to wait a while until Queen’s Park loosens its moneygrubbing grip on our liquor. Until then, I suggest you pick up your favourite cheap brand while it is still to be found, and start hoarding. Cheers!