Quoted: Va. Reconsiding Its Sangria Ban

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"SOMETIMES I FEEL in Virginia we're still working off a prohibition mentality. The rigid construct of state laws is not reflective of modern times."

— Virginia state Sen. Chap Peterson, Democrat of Fairfax, on alcohol laws that bar restaurants and bars in the commonwealth from mixing wine or beer with spirits and pre-mixing a drink with alcohol.

As The Post's Anita Kumar reports, it is illegal to serve traditional sangria in Virginia, according to laws dating to 1934. Alcohol regulatory authorities have handed out citations to La Tasca in Alexandria, and Crystal City's Jaleo has been forced to alter its sangria recipe to be in accordance with the law. The Virginia General Assembly is considering tweaks to the commonwealth's alcohol laws to allow the sale of sangria.

Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post