Prussen: Finally time for grocery wine

Linda Delmonico Prussen is a freelance writer living in Merrick.

Wine consumption is on the rise. With vineyards covering New York State from as far north as Plattsburgh, as west as Ripley, and right in our own backyard on Long Island's North Fork, that should be good news for our state's economy.

Now that state lawmakers are back in Albany, the hotly debated issue of whether and how best to sell wine in New York grocery stores should go back on the table. Though the budget was settled without a supermarket-wine sale provision, widening wine sales in New York would be a boon not just to our state's vineyards, but to regular-folk wine lovers like myself. Some 35 other states already allow supermarket wine sales, and a Siena Poll last year found that 58 percent of New Yorkers support it for our state, too.

The idea has been around New York for decades. Gov. Cuomo -- Mario Cuomo, that is -- introduced the concept in 1984 to help fight declining grape prices in the state. While he wasn't completely successful, he was able to get wine coolers stocked onto supermarket shelves. Gov. David A. Paterson reintroduced the idea as a state revenue raiser in 2009 and again last year. And with the possibility of $300 million in licensing revenue to the state in the first year -- with additional funds yearly for license renewal -- the rationale to get wine on grocery store shelves in New York remains strong.

Those who reject it cite the reasonable fear that having wine available in grocery stores would lead to the closing of many independently owned liquor stores. Certainly, any legislation should include safeguards to protect liquor stores as well as state vineyards.

The approach has to be more than one proposed trade-off: merely allowing liquor stores to carry some snack products that they're currently prohibited from offering. Instead, it must take a cue from the "locavore" movement by creating incentives to get New York wines on the supermarket shelves, while at the same time keeping the broader selection of old-world European and new-world domestic bottles at the wine and liquor stores.

Though it might not be legally possible to exclude grocery stores from selling out-of-state wines, perhaps carefully worded legislation could offer incentives, like lower licensing fees, to stores that offer New York wines exclusively or that dedicate a large percentage of their wine-shelf space to New York bottles.

In addition to raising licensing revenue for the state and boosting local wineries, supermarket wine sales would make this sometimes-intimidating drink more accessible to consumers. Wine's low-alcohol content is closer to beer than to hard liquors, and most wines, like beer, are meant to be enjoyed with food, so there's a natural connection for sales in supermarkets. But unlike beer, the mystique surrounding wines is intimidating for many people.

Some infrequent wine drinkers fear "getting it wrong" and being judged when serving wine to guests, choosing a bottle in a restaurant, or selecting wine as a gift. For some, it's easiest just to pick a wine they've seen advertised. That means the big wineries get bigger, while many high-quality, local wines are overlooked.

Supermarket sales would bring the product to an arena where consumers already make buying decisions with confidence. People who normally wouldn't purchase wine might consider it.

There are many good -- some exceptional -- New York State wines, and it is unlikely that those who begin a love affair with wine will want to limit themselves. While their romance may have begun at King Kullen or Waldbaum's, curiosity will lead them to explore the wines of other regions. Wine and liquor stores -- with their broader selection -- will reap those rewards with new customers.

No one wants to see the demise of the local wine shop. Nowhere else can people go and ask for a specific brand or vintage and have it shipped -- often from halfway around the world -- to their corner store. There has to be a legal way to safeguard that unique service, while also broadening the sales base for local wines. The ultimate goal should be tri-pronged: Increase state revenue, promote state wines, and introduce consumers to options found not only in the supermarket but in their local wine and liquor stores.