Supermarket wine sales proposed in NY

New Yorkers could see a change in the way wine is sold if proposals by the state's Governor permitting sales of wine in supermarkets, grocers and convenience stores are approved. The move has been proposed in order to help alleviate a $7.4 billion budget deficit in 2010-11 by developing the state's wine industry.

Under current regulations, wine can only currently be sold in licensed liquor stores. As a concession the governor is proposing to allow liquor stores to own multiple stores instead of only one, let them sell wine to restaurants and bars, and to band them together to increase volume-purchasing power and seek lower prices from suppliers.

Currently 35 of the 50 states, including California and Washington State, allow supermarket wine sales. Similar bills to permit wine sales outside of liquor stores were defeated in 2009 and 1984.