Ritchie's wine dessert bill passes Senate

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - 11:52 am
The sale of wine flavored frozen desserts in New York State will be allowed if Sen. Patty Ritchie’s bill, which has passed in the Senate, is approved by the governor.

The bill amends the Agriculture and Markets Law, the Public Health Law and the ABC Law to remove barriers to producing, selling, packaging and distributing the products.

Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair William Magee and New York Farm Bureau asked Senator Ritchie to introduce the bill as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

“With record unemployment, New York State needs to encourage innovation in its wine industry and commercial food industries to make it easier for companies to create new products using what’s already produced on New York’s farms,” Ritchie said.

“As the chair of the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, I felt it was vital to help encourage food manufacturers to use wine as an ingredient in more desserts like sorbets to help create new products, new businesses and new jobs both on farms, at wineries and in our manufacturing plants.”

The new law allows companies to use wine up to five percent alcohol by volume in any frozen dessert.

Under the law, buyers will have to show proof they are at least 21 years of age to purchase frozen wine desserts. Stores and restaurants will have to provide standard warnings that the product contains alcohol and should not be used if operating machinery or if pregnant.

Two pints of wine ice cream would equal a glass of wine.

The senator’s office says that so far, no incidents have been reported of individuals being charged with DWI as a result of eating too much wine ice cream.

Ritchie, a Republican from Heuvelton, represents the Senate’s 48th District.