Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces that he is calling a summit to boost the beer and wine industries in New York just months after a similar effort began to try to make New York the nation's largest producer of Greek-style yogurt.
ALBANY — Ideas will not be the only thing flowing at this summit meeting.
Gov. Cuomo plans to host a beer and wine summit in Albany next month to consider ways the state can help both industries.
“Wine and beer, I think, there’s also opportunities for collaboration,” Cuomo told reporters Thursday. “The wine industry in New York is very important. It is big business for us. It’s doing very well.”
Cuomo said the gathering will be modeled after the yogurt summit he hosted in August. That industry powwow resulted in an easing of restrictions on small dairy farms, making it easier for them to expand.
“What these summits are all about is we identify a business product line where we believe, if we get involved, we can actually make a difference,” Cuomo said.
Steve Hindy, President of the Brooklyn Beer Breweries, says of the summit, “If it is good enough for yogurt, it is good enough for beer and wine.”
One topic that will not be on tap, however, is a change in state law allowing the sale of wine in grocery stores. Cuomo said he still opposes the proposal, which has long been sought by the wine industry.
Brooklyn Brewery Founder Steve Hindy welcomed Cuomo’s summit, saying the state can play a big role in fostering both industries. “If it is good enough for yogurt, it is good enough for beer and wine,” Hindy said about the summit. “I’ll be there in a second.”
Hindy said one suggestion is for the state to develop a “Beer Trail” to help tourists visit breweries. The city already has 12 breweries, he added.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, winks and waves after announcing the summit.
“New York State has a wine trail,” Hindy said. “You could do the same thing with breweries.”
Although an exact date for the summit has not been set, Cuomo said the pre-meeting discussions are often what’s most important.
“It is really less about the meeting and more about the collaboration before, and partnering before,” Cuomo said. “The meeting is just my way of accelerating the conversation.”
