Common Council hears wine sale debate

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The debate over selling wine in grocery stores brought a lively crowd to the Buffalo Common Council meeting.

The Council was discussing Governor Paterson's budget amendment to sell wine in grocery stores across the state. It's a plan the Governor claims will generate more than $160 million over the coming year. However, opponents say it will run local wineries and liquor stores out of business.

One person who disagrees with the amendment said, "Generally, supermarkets work on a system where they replace something quickly if it doesn't sell quickly. So unless the NY wine industry can really support itself on it's own, it's really gonna be out of the store before you know it and NYS is gonna wind up with wineries closing, which is why more than 100 wineries are on our side."

Another person, who supports wine in stores, said, "I don't know why we're fighting this. They need us. We need them sincerely. I don't understand why you, a Common Council, are even voting on this. You don't have any wineries in the city of Buffalo, but you have an awful lot of people that drink wine and that's all they ask is an opportunity to find wine."

The Governor claims this amendment along with several others will help close the state's growing deficit.