Authorizes wineries to engage in custom crush wine production allowing individuals to assist in the production of wine for sale for personal or family use

Title of bill

An act to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to the custom crush production of wine

Purpose or general idea of bill

This bill would allow duly licensed wineries to engage in what is commonly known as custom crush in which customers are able to assist in the production of their wine.

Summary of specific provisions

Adds a new subdivision 8 to section 76 of the alcoholic beverage control law.

Justification

The wine industry in New York State has undergone a tremendous renaissance over the past several years. Today the New York wine industry includes over 200 wineries - from Long Island to the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes to Lake Erie - producing over 100 million bottles of wine annually, $500 million in aggregate gross sales and $85 million in state and local revenue on top of the 18,000 people they employ statewide and the millions of tourists they draw into the state. It is a major economic force that also provides a market to the almost 1,000 family-owned vineyards across the state.

In an effort to continue to grow the wine business, this bill would allow commercial wineries to engage in what is commonly known as custom crush. The custom crush experience is a growing facet of winemaking in which the person ultimately purchasing the wine partakes in its creation from choosing the base to assisting in its production. It is the epitome of bringing the farm to non-farmers and true New York winemaking to wine lovers. This bill will further encourage the growth of the wine industry and strength of our rural economies which rely on our wineries for their livelihood.

Prior legislative history

A.9665 of 2007-08

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediately.