If you’ve been to a grocery store in New York anytime recently you may have come across some people looking for you to sign a petition. The idea represented by the Vote Wine 2009 coalition was to allow grocery stores to sell wine. A notion I don’t find all that abhorrent really. But I also don’t see a need when I’ve got access to 2 or 3 liquor shops that are decent, and one fantastic one that’s only a 10 minute drive away.
Jennifer Carlson of the Vote Wine 2009 coalition has said the movement is dead in Albany. Governor David Paterson is amidst budget negotiations, but it looks like the legislation is not going to be passed. This is great news for the small mom and pop liquor shops. And honestly, while a mild convenience the behemoth grocery stores like Wegmans don’t require wine to be sold.
Ironically Carlson said that it was the “powerful” liquor store lobby that got the legislation shut down. I’m sorry, I love Wegmans as a grocery store, but to say that the little liquor stores had any chance to go head to head with large corporations is just silly. And if the liquor store lobby did anything then it was their job: to protect the liquor stores that would be shuttered if such legislation passed. It’s already tough enough to find a decent butcher or fish monger outside of NYC, I’d like to keep my wine and liquor coming from some guy who’s passionate and has his whole life dedicated to the business. Let us keep at least one thing that is not turned into a mass market homogeny.
