ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced the signing of a series of new laws that will continue the state’s efforts to better market and promote New York wine by allowing wine to be sold at roadside farm markets and designating portions of the state highways near wineries and vineyards as “Wine Trails.”
According to Governor Cuomo, “These new laws will build on our continuing efforts to promote New York’s wine industry across the state and beyond, boosting tourism, local economies and job growth. We are increasing market opportunities for local producers and farmers and expanding our wine trails to attract tourists to communities across Upstate New York.”
The farm markets legislation (S.267/A.1512) will create a new venue for New York wineries to sell their products by allowing roadside farm markets to sell wine manufactured and produced by up to two licensed farm wineries, special wineries or micro-wineries located within 20 miles of the roadside farm market.
The Governor also signed four wine trail laws: one establishes a new wine trail; one expands an existing wine trail; one both expands two existing wine trails and changes their names; and one simply changes the name of an existing wine trail (here in Chautauqua County the trail was renamed “The Lake Erie Wine Country Trail“).
According to the Governor’s office, wine trails help guide tourists to local attractions, vineyards, and wine tasting rooms, and to experience all that New York’s wine regions have to offer. There are currently 16 wine trails designated by state law.
New York is home to nearly 500 wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Producers account for more than $22 billion in annual total economic impact in the state and support tens of thousands of jobs statewide. The state ranks third in the nation in wine and grape production, has the second-most distilleries, and three of the top-producing 20 brewers in the United States are located in New York.
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