Wine in the Aisles? Bottles May Be Coming to New York Grocery Stores

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.

READ MORE: Cheers! Best Wine Tastings & Tours in the Country Can Be Found in New York

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.

READ MORE: Final Pour in NY - One Winery Up For Sale, Another Says Goodbye

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.

Get our free mobile app