East Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) Wine may soon be available on the shelves of New York’s grocery stores. The state Senate recently proposed a new bill that would allow wine to be sold in grocery stores throughout New York.
The current law prohibits the sale of wine in grocery stores.
The bill, introduced by State Senator George Borrello (R-57), would allow wine to be sold in grocery stores, but there is one catch. The bill would only allow wines produced in the state or made with New York-grown or produced ingredients.
After 19 years of fermenting the perfect bottle in-house, Lakeland Winery owner Andrew Watkins has mastered 50 different wines in his small facility. However, Watkins is concerned about this new bill because he has 450 other competitors vying for a spot on the shelves.
“How many different wineries can a grocery store accommodate with its shelf space?” “Probably only the largest wineries could be sold in those grocery stores; I won’t be allowed in,” Watkins said.
Watkins, who already has a razor-thin margin, believes that if this bill is passed, it will drive small wineries and liquor stores like his out of business.
“They won’t come to our winery to buy it. They will not go to the liquor store to purchase it. “They’ll buy it there because it’s the most convenient option,” Watkins said.
“Even I got Thousand Islands, you’ll see a lot more of just those ones in grocery stores, compared to seeing a couple more of the oddball tinier wineries and it might even hurt them and we might end up having less wineries in New York State,” says Noah Curtis, manager of Pascale’s Liquor
Given the possibility of a limited selection, some argue that this may not be as convenient as you believe.
Maybe not what you’re looking for, so you’ll have to go to a second store either way, and there are currently more liquor stores in the area than grocery stores. So if it causes other liquor stores to close, you’ll have even less convenience,” Curtis explained.
As of Friday, the bill remained in the State Senate committee. To become law, the bill must be approved by both the New York State Senate and the Assembly before it can be signed by the Governor.
