What is The Wine Line?

           The Wine Line is a specifically designed boutique wine shop that will focus on hand crafted products. Our goal is to provide customers with new and exciting opportunities that cannot be found at other wine and spirit retail stores in our area, as many of these stores overlap with respect to the numerous products and brands they sell to the consumer. Consequently, our target audience is the consumer who is interested in more than just a grab and go experience. 

            At the Wine Line, we will not be stocking the “standard” brands. Rather, our focus is on the rapidly changing consumer interest for other quality products that are not mass produced. We will work with the small to medium sized distributors, and because of this, we will not compete for the same customers as other wine and spirit shops in the area. The Wine Line will provide customers a unique experience to be exposed to products not widely sold in the market and will offer an educational venue to present high quality wines to discerning clientele. In addition, education is an integral feature of our business, as we intend to provide our customers with a learning opportunity about the wine industry as opposed to simply selling them a bottle. 

What’s the problem?

            On September 15, 2021, The Wine Line appeared before the New York State Liquor Authority to review its application for a “package store” liquor license, which allows for a company to sell liquor and wine at retail for off-premises consumption. Ultimately, the NYSLA denied the application on the grounds the store would not “serve the public convenience and advantage,” largely due to the store’s vicinity to another liquor store. While this is what’s stated in print, the members of the Authority at the meeting gave a different impression: That residents of Oyster Bay would not benefit from such a store due to the town’s demographic. According to the NYSLA, Oyster Bay is a, “stagnant town,” and, “doesn’t warrant a new liquor license being issued.” 

            Section sixty-three of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, which governs the issuance of package store licenses, states that such determinations must be made in accordance with public convenience and advantage. To do so, they consider whether the area is adequately served by the existing package stores. This is done through an analysis of factors and heavily considers whether the applicant will offer goods or services not readily available at the existing stores in the area. 

Considering this information, The Wine Line’s rejection seems almost contradictory—as the store’s main intention is to offer quality products that cannot be found at other wine and spirit retail stores in the area. The store has also received a great deal of support from both the Oyster Bay Main Street Association and the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce, so who is the NYSLA to say that this store would not add any benefit to the town? 

What’s happens next?

            In the coming months, The Wine Line plans to file for an appeal of the court’s decision. If the main concern is truly “public convenience and advantage,” it should be up to the public to make this decision, not a team of board members who have never set foot in the town. To prove the case even more strongly this time, The Wine Line is asking for Oyster Bay and Nassau County residents to sign this petition to demonstrate local support for the initiative. Everyone at The Wine Line thanks you, and please keep an eye out for updates on Instagram @thewineline_