No More Sales Tax for Wine Tasting

ALBANY, NY – Sales tax will no longer be added to the charge for tastings at wineries.  The state is also creating a $350,000 fund to research hops and malting barley for beer.

During an April summit, wineries pushed for this change since they were already exempt from paying a use tax.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, “New York is home to world-class wineries and craft breweries, and by launching these initiatives we are looking to further grow the industry, as well as increase the production of locally made products.”

State officials said wineries had to collect a tax on sales of wine, either by bottle or the glass, and exemptions to the tax didn’t cover wine tastings.

The Geneva Experiment Station at Cornell University in Ontario County will receive in part the $350,000 for beer research.  Researchers there are studying 30 varieties of hops for the state’s craft brewing industry and they have 225 acres of hops planted, said Cuomo.

In 2011, he loosened some laws which led to a boom in craft breweries.