'Merlot' A No-No On Utah License Plate

CBS NEWS ^ | 3-18-2007

[Cagey]

AP) Merlot can be a variety of grape or a type of red wine, but not an acceptable personalized license plate in the state of Utah.

Glenn Eurick's 1996 Mercedes has had the license plate reading "merlot" for 10 years. He says the plate never got a lot of notice until the Utah Tax Commission told him last week that he had to remove it because the state doesn't allow words of intoxicant to be used on vanity plates.

Six or seven-letter words like liquor or whiskey probably wouldn't make it through the state screening process before the plates are issued. But merlot did and Eurick was fine until an anonymous caller told the state that merlot was also an alcoholic beverage.

Eurick's car with the offending plate is dark red, like the wine. He said few people who asked about the plate made the connection. Though one man did ask "if we chose merlot because there were too many letters in cabernet sauvignon," Eurick said.

Eurick said he will challenge the state's decision.

[Thermalseeker]

oh please, GTFU. (the "G" stands for "grow.")

I guess the one I saw in Logan, UT, about 3 years ago, "4NAC8" slipped by them.....whoosh....

[Utah Binger]

You missed Brigham Young's winter home in St. George Utah where wine was produced.

Silk was produced in the area as early as 1874 but did not add to the material prosperity of the city. Nevertheless, the mulberry trees, which were planted to feed the worms, have continued to provide shade to the city's residents. Other early pioneer endeavors included producing molasses, dried fruit, and wine.

Has it a name? Yea, verily we will call it Brigham's Red.

[Issaquahking]

Wow, thanks for the heads up! Biggest thing we got going in Mesquite right now is a little newspaper that's not skert of the big bad cituh regime. "The Mesquite Local" is also an internet paper...

Looks like a new Mayor coming, onthis election cycle.

[Utah Binger]

"Silk was produced in the area as early as 1874 but did not add to the material prosperity of the city. Nevertheless, the mulberry trees, which were planted to feed the worms, have continued to provide shade to the city's residents. Other early pioneer endeavors included producing molasses, dried fruit, and wine."

Forgot the quotes from St. George History.

[dfwgator]

"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow ye may be in Utah."

[Utah Binger]

We came through last week and picked up the paper. I was surprised about the size of it.

[Issaquahking]

Off to a job out at Beaver Dam. Beat the ilegals out on this one...Must have forgot a page or two in the bid?

[mylife]

lol!

[mborman]

(An aside to Mormons)

That wasn't grape juice Jesus drank.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

If places like L.A. and Washington D.C. are the future, I'll gladly take Utah.

[mikrofon]

In Ontario, Canada no less...

[Severa]

I guess Virginia didn't have the same uptightness about plates. My two favorite vanity plates I saw when I lived there (2000-2004) were BEER PLZ and LQR PLZ.

[Publius6961]

until the Utah Tax Commission told him last week that he had to remove it because the state doesn't allow words of intoxicant to be used on vanity plates.

If you ever needed proof and documentation of the intrinsic stupidity of bureaucrats...

Merlot is the name of a grape.

Does this mean that "Crow" would also be rejected because...

... never mind...

[Publius6961]

His favorite thing was to drive down and check out all the cars at the bar and then go back to the border and wait for them to come out so he could issue DUI's. Yes it is wrong to drink and drive, but entrapment is against the law.

You have serious comprehension issues.
That is not entrapment.

[Maury]

I have 'CMPNS8N' (and that's 'compensatin' 'not 'camping satan', as one of kids thought!)on my Corvette, and it went through the Louisiana DMV without a hitch.

Of course, the were going to let 'TNYPKR' through as well, but the wife stopped me. ;)

[Fresh Wind]

I saw a plate with "WANKER" on it. It was on a Jaguar. Not something to be proud of, I would say.

[Utah Binger]

Maybe not entrapment Mr. comprehension expert big shot. But it is against the law to lay in wait and ambush without cause. Especially hiding and waiting on the border of another state.

[LonePalm]

Let me guess, his wife uses "Oil of Gamay" beauty creme, right?

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Old Professer]

MUF DVR California 1976. (Corvette)

[surely_you_jest]

Incidents like this, duly reported, and repeated, will doom Mitt Romney's campaign.