Wineries today launch its annual “Fall in Love with New York Wines” campaign, a statewide effort this month and in November to promote New York wineries through retailers and advertisements, as well as deals and wine-tasting events, Gannett’s Haley Viccaro reports.
“New York wine is not just great to drink, its big business that provides jobs across New York State,” Sen. Catherine Young, R-Olean, Cattaraugus County, said in a statement after attending the launch at the Capitol today. “The state can and should help promote NY wines because it’s an investment that will pay us back many times over with more jobs and increased wine tourism.”
The Last Store on Main Street, a lobbying group that represents wineries and liquor stores, said they will provide decorative posters to retailers to help promote New York wines. The goal of the campaign is to help the state’s wine industry by educating consumers about the wines sold locally, they said.
The group was active in recent years to try to thwart efforts to let grocery stores sell wine—a move that liquor stores feared would put them out of business. The effort for wine in grocery stores have foundered in recent years, in part because of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s opposition.
“Wines made in New York State are some of the best in the world,” said Jeff Saunders, founder of the Last Store coalition. “Unfortunately, many New Yorkers are unaware of that fact and look elsewhere when buying or ordering wine. It is our mission to help educate New Yorkers about the great variety of quality wines made right here at home.”
Cuomo recently announced the plan for a Beer and Wine Summit to also help the wine industry.
After California and Washington, New York ranks third in wine production and also second in wine consumption.
2 Comments
This is just another ‘anti-wine in food stores lobby’ joke on NY taxpayers and wineries. The fact is there aren’t enough stores, in New York State, in which people can purchase wine. Their previous ‘efforts’ didn’t produce any increase in stores ordering wine from New York wineries. The large liquor/wine stores are putting the smaller ones out of business, now, and that leaves fewer shelves for wineries to offer their product to consumers. This is why New York wineries need the opportunity to sell their wine where food is sold; where consumers will actually buy it. And that is what will give opportunities to small wine stores so their numbers will also increase as they have in other states that allow the sale of wine in food – and liquor – stores.
This is a great example of what can happen when an industry comes together for a common purpose. When the local wineries and wine stores became united in the effort to stop the Wine in Grocery debacle, they formed a partnership that will have a positive impact on the local economy. Kudos to the local wineries and their retail partners (of which I am a proud one!!)