As the alcohol beverage industry continues to grow and evolve, 2024 is shaping up to be a year of significant legal developments and trends. For wineries, breweries, distilleries, cideries, and meaderies, understanding the key legal changes and emerging issues is crucial to staying compliant and competitive. In this year-in-review post,…
Category: Wine and Direct Shipment
New York State Passes Law Allowing Direct Shipment of Spirits, Cider, and Mead
This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed groundbreaking legislation, S.2852A/A.3132A, permitting producers of spirits, cider, and mead to ship directly to New York consumers. This new law significantly enhances market opportunities for the state’s burgeoning craft beverage industry, enabling producers to deliver their unique products straight to customers both…
Supreme Court Grants Cert to A Granholm-Like Case for Retailers
On Thursday, September 27, 2018, the Supreme Court granted cert to a new case involving Granholm-like issues for the alcohol beverage wholesale and retail tiers. See Certiorari Granted. The case, Tennessee Wine and Spirits vs. Byrd Clayton, stems from a Tennessee law which requires in-state retail license applicants to satisfy residency requirements. The law…
Empire Wine Bill Passes in Assembly
The “Empire Wine Bill” (version 2.0) passed in the New York State Assembly on Wednesday, June 15th per the New York State Assembly website. The matching Senate bill, S07728, has not yet passed and shows no action on the bill’s page other than an entry for May 12, 2016. The summary…
Empire Strikes Back: New Bill Appears in New York’s Senate and Assembly
Two new bills have been introduced to New York’s Senate and Assembly on May 12th and May 18th (respectively), sponsored by New York State Senator Phil Boyle and Assembly Member Philip Steck. The bills are very similar to the “Empire Wine Bill” that appeared in both the Senate and Assembly last…
Empire Wine Bills Delivered to Governor Cuomo
On November 30, 2015, the two talked about bills, A05920 and S04446, in New York’s Assembly and Senate were delivered to Governor Cuomo. A05920 was introduced to the Assembly in March of this year by Assemblyman Phil Steck and proposes to amend New York State’s alcohol beverage laws. See Bill Supports Empire Wine Sales; Bill Would Curb…
Empire Wine Bill Passes in New York State Senate
In case yesterday’s news wasn’t good enough for industry members, today we are here to repot something even better: the acclaimed Empire Wine bill passed today in New York’s Senate. That’s quite a successful move for a bill that was only introduced a day ago. The bill now awaits Governor…
Empire Wine Bill Passes in New York State Assembly
In promising news for industry members, the much talked-about “Empire wine bill” pending in both New York’s Assembly and Senate passed in the Assembly on Monday, June 15, 2015. See A05920 Summary. Its sister bill, S04446A, is currently still pending in the state’s Senate and, according to Capitol Confidential, “has advanced to the third…
Judge Grants Order Allowing Empire Wine to Subpoena NYSLA Employees
Last week, and as noted originally by Capitol Confidential, Honorable Gerald W. Connolly, Acting Supreme Court Justice for the State of New York Supreme Court for the County of Albany, issued a decision and order allowing Colonie-based retailer Empire Wine to subpoena NYSLA employees. See Empire Wine & Spirits LLC v. New York State…
New York Is Open for Business — Or Is It?
Last week, the Albany newspaper Times Union published my most recent op ed on the Empire Wine’s legal battle with the NYSLA. The article discusses the background between the two parties, as well as the catastrophic business environment that could develop in New York State from the Authority’s interpretation of its regulations. New…