|Associated Press Writer
The Senate and Assembly gave their final approvals this week to legislation that
will treat wine ice cream like other confections with slightly adult content.
The bill limits alcohol to 5 percent by volume, prohibits its sale to anyone
under 21 and requires warning statements on labels and menus.
"When we
decided where we were going to open our store, being on the wine trail, it made
sense," said Judy Gonroff, an owner of Cayuga Lake Creamery in Interlaken. "We
recently did a chocolate wine ice cream, and we can do others."
They didn't want to incur the expense of getting a liquor license for selling ice cream at their shop, Gonroff said.
Last week they made a wine strawberry rhubarb sorbet that sold
out at one winery's rhubarb festival, and for the third year they're making one
with dark cherries and merlot for another winery that has a cherry festival,
Gonroff said. Her husband Jeff Kostick, who began experimenting about three
years ago, recently made a nut brown ale ice cream with an Ithaca brew.
Assemblyman William Magee, who chairs the Assembly Agriculture
Committee, said in the sponsor's memo: "There is no doubt that New York
agriculture is steamrolling ahead with the creation, production and marketing of
splendid and scrumptious new agrigoodies." The Oneida Democrat said this law
will make it easier for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and restaurants
to meet a growing demand.
Also, lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate
gave their final approvals this week to legislation to permit tastings at
wineries starting at 10 a.m. Sundays until midnight. Current law lets them sell
wine at 10 a.m. Sundays but they cannot offer samples until noon.
In the
sponsor's memo for that bill, Magee said: "The current law makes no sense
because it forces someone to buy an untried product which often, due to the
limited production and limited marketing opportunities, cannot be sampled
elsewhere because the wine may be only available through the winery itself."
Both measures will be sent to Gov. David Paterson
for signing or veto. A spokesman didn't immediately know the governor's
intentions.
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