The revival of the push to legalize wine sales in New York State grocery stores isn’t the only activity going on in the State Legislature that concerns adult beverages.
State Senator David Carlucci, D-Rockland/Orange, has introduced a trio of bills that would affect both the wine and brewing industries in the state. They are part of a larger agriculture reform legislation package. As explained by his office:
- Bill S.1909 would make it easier for small wineries to sell their product to restaurants. Currently, wineries that wish to make such sales are required to register as a wine wholesaler and comply with record keeping requirements that small wine makers have neither the manpower nor the expertise to handle.
- Bill S.4533 would allow wineries to be able to rent their space to home winemakers. Other major wine producing states, such as California and Washington, already allow this additional revenue stream.
- Bill S.5078 would create a new farm brewery license that would allow farmers to brew beer on their property as long as they use a certain percentage of New York State-grown products. The bill would allow commercial sales on farm property and would cap the number of barrels brewed under this license to 15,000 a year.
“It is not only essential that we work to actively promote our family farms, but that we also seek ways to make sure they continue to grow and prosper,” Carlucci said. “This package of legislation will provide the tools needed to support our farmers, promote locally grown agricultural products and preserve our valuable farm land.”
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