It May Be Too Late To Make New York Safe For Wine Consumers

The Death of the Wine In NY Grocery Store Bill Should Be No Surprise

The majority of you reading this will find it odd that a bill has been introduced in the New York Legislature to allow wine to be sold in grocery stores. This is because it is highly likely most of you have lived most, if not all, of your life with the freedom to put a bottle of wine in your grocery cart.

New York is one of only ten states where wine is barred from sale in grocery stores. Is it legitimate to ask whether or not those 40 other states where one can purchase chardonnay with their Wheaties are on the wrong side of the “grocery store wine sales” question? No, it is not.

The last time a bill was introduced that would allow wine sales in the Empire State food stores was 2010. It failed. Various New York liquor store associations and the largest wholesalers lobbied hard to stop the bill. The arguments made by the tiny number of very powerful opponents of grocery store wine sales then are the same arguments against grocery store wine sales today.