New Bill Could Let New York Supermarkets Sell Wine

If you've ever wished you could grab a bottle of wine while picking up your groceries in New York, that dream might be closer to reality.

A new bill, is making its way through the New York State state legislature, aiming to allow certain supermarkets to sell wine directly to customers.

Introduced by Senator Liz Krueger, the bill proposes the creation of a "supermarket wine license." Full-service grocery stores would be able to start selling bottles of wine, just like they already do with beer.

To qualify, stores would need to make most of their money from food sales, already have a beer license, and be at least 5,000 square feet in size. If they meet those requirements, they’d pay a one-time $10,000 fee per location to get started, plus a yearly fee based on how much wine they sell.

But here’s a nice touch, any wine made in New York wouldn’t count toward that annual fee, giving local wineries a little boost.

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500 Foot Rule

There’s one big catch. The bill includes a “500-foot rule.”

That means if a grocery store is within 500 feet of a liquor store, it can’t get a wine license. The idea is to give liquor stores a little breathing room and not totally crowd them out as supermarkets get in on the wine game.

While the bill has garnered support for its potential to increase convenience for consumers and boost sales of New York wines, it also faces opposition from liquor store owners concerned about increased competition.

As the legislative session rolls on, it’s still up in the air whether the bill will actually pass. Lawmakers have more debating and voting to do before anything’s official.

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Have a Sip At These 11 Finger Lakes Wine Tasting Rooms and Wine Bars

The Finger Lakes is looking for a spring and summer season that will "pop." With dozens or wineries throughout the region, visitors will start trekking into the wine region in big numbers with the advent of warm weather. While there are any number of places to buy wine, we suggest you pick out a couple of wineries that have tasting rooms, or even check out some of the fun wine bars located in the villages across the Finger Lakes. Here is a starter list of some of the best. Most have food, from small charcuterie boards all the way to 5-star cuisine. All have great tastes for you to try. And many of them have that classic Finger Lakes view right outside their doors!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio