ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) - A bill has been reintroduced in the State Senate for the 2025-2026 legislative session, which, if passed, would allow grocery stores to sell wine. Lawmakers in favor of the bill say this would allow for local wineries and distributors to expand and mass-produce their prod uct statewide. In the justification, it details how this would allow for folks to get everything they need at the grocery store, without having to make an extra stop on the way home. However, for business owners like Nancy Andrews, who owns the Fort Hill Liquor Store on Mount Hope Ave. in College Town, they're worried this could detract customers who go to their stores. "Let's face it, it's going to be a lot more convenient to buy a jug of wine at a supermarket, rather than come here and get a nice bottle to pair with your dinner," Andrews said. "We're going to lose that foot traffic, and we'll lose the ability to have the wide variety of specialty wines and liquors that we're able to buy and sell to the public right now." The bill is currently co-sponsored by six Democratic state senators, including Senator Jeremy Cooney. Executive Director of the Metropolitan Package Store Association, Michael Correra, who also owns a liquor store himself, says businesses like his do well selling wine currently, and the demand for wine in supermarkets is not high enough to justify this bill being passed. This is the greatest state in the country for wines," Correra said. "There are more wines available here than in any state. There are 700 wine importers here, and there's a reason for that." Another aspect liquor store owners like Andrews and Correra are worried about losing is the ability to provide the customer experience, assisting folks who come into their store with picking out the perfect wine for their needs. With wine making up 40% of Fort Hill Liquor Store's total sales, Andrews worries many stores are in a similar situation as her, in which wine sales are crucial to keeping the business afloat. She added that she doesn't want to see family-owned stores like hers be forced to close. Strangebird & Rochester-based beekeeper collaborate for award-winning brown ale "The big stores took over everything, and now they're going to take this business from us," Andrews said. "My son is going to buy this business from me and continue it, but what will I have to leave him?" If the bill does pass, New York would join 40 other states that currently allow for wine to be sold in Supermarkets. The full bill can be found here. ...read more read less