Sunday Wine Tasting Now Starts At 10 AM
Paul Sterne
July 13, 2008 This New Yorker had the honor of watching the State Legislator make history on May 21, 2008 when it passed the groundbreaking Sunday Wine Tasting Bill. Last week, after unanimously clearing the State Senate, Governor Patterson signed this watershed legislation into law.
In short, now New Yorkers can taste wine starting at 10 AM on Sunday. Previously, this pleasure had been prohibited until noon.
The bill was sponsored by Assemblyman William Magee, Democrat, Madison County. When one considers how hard it is to get anything done in New York State, it is a mystery how this particular law made it all the way through the legislature.
From my perspective, the weird thing about the new law is that the honorable state government didn't abolish all restrictions on Sunday wine tasting. -- that would have made too much sense. Abolishing all restrictions would have gotten rid of one of the 33,000 New York State laws currently on the books. Instead it is still a misdeamenor to hold a wine tasting between 4 AM and 10 AM on Sunday and after 5PM.
This is an issue clearly earmarked for civil disobedience. Some liquor merchant needs to stand up and hold a wine tasting at 4 AM on Sunday and show the injustice of it all. No Justice, No Peace.
