Wine at the Grocery Store? New York Lawmakers Are Ready To Make It Happen

Big changes could be coming to how we buy wine, beer, and spirits in New York. Lawmakers are making a final push to modernize the state’s alcohol laws, and that includes the long-debated idea of allowing wine sales in grocery stores.

Wine in Grocery Stores? It Might Finally Happen

New York is one of just 10 states that still don't allow wine to be sold in grocery stores. But that could soon change. A bill sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger would allow larger supermarkets (at least 4,000 square feet) to apply for a license to sell New York-made wine.

Even better for local vineyards, stores that choose to stock New York wine would get a tax incentive for doing so.

More Than Just Wine: Other Updates on the Table

Krueger’s updated bill doesn’t stop at grocery wine. It also includes other modernizations like:

• Letting liquor stores sell snacks, mixers, and tobacco
• Preventing liquor stores and grocery stores that sell wine from operating within 500 feet of each other

While she admits the clock is ticking with just two weeks left in the session, Krueger says she’s hopeful: “Nobody really has strong opposition to it,” she told Spectrum News.

But Not Everyone's On Board

Although three-quarters of New Yorkers support wine sales in grocery stores (according to a 2023 Siena College poll), some liquor stores and large alcohol distributors are pushing back hard.

Why? Because changing the rules could impact their bottom line. As Sen. James Skoufis put it: “Alcohol laws are sort of like a Jenga tower, you pull out one block and the whole tower starts to shake.”

Helping Restaurants Survive Weekend Shortages

Skoufis is sponsoring another bill that could be a lifeline for small restaurants and bars. Right now, those businesses have to wait for weekly alcohol deliveries. But if they run out of a popular liquor on a busy weekend? Tough luck.

His bill would let them buy up to 12 bottles per week directly from a liquor store. The bill has passed the Senate before, but wholesalers have blocked it from moving forward in the Assembly.

Letting Liquor Stores Grow, Too

Another proposed change would allow liquor store owners to open more than one location. Right now, New York law limits ownership to just one store per person.

Assemblymember Brian Cunningham is backing that bill. He says it’s about more than just liquor; it’s about supporting local job growth. “These stores hire locally,” Cunningham said. “This is a good economic development bill.”

Reform Has Been a Long Time Coming

A special state commission recommended 18 changes to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) laws last year, including:

• Expanding liquor store ownership
• Allowing liquor store-to-restaurant sales

Surprisingly, wine in grocery stores wasn't on that list, but it’s gotten plenty of attention this session anyway.

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The Race to the Finish

With the legislative session wrapping up in just a couple of weeks, lawmakers are scrambling to get these changes across the finish line and onto Governor Hochul’s desk.