SENECA FALLS, N.Y. -- Jeff Kostic makes wine ice cream and sorbets for wineries along the Cayuga Wine Trail and sells it at events and at his own ice cream parlor. He said the new bill will make it easier for him to compete.
"Chocolate has for a long time been able to make truffles and things with wine in them and not be regulated. So this will bring us at an even level with those people,” said Jeff Kostick, Cayuga Lake Creamery.
Under the legislation, ice cream makers won't need a liquor license, but can't sell to anyone under 21-years-old and their products can't contain more than 5 percent alcohol.
Now Kostic said you'd have to eat two gallons of wine ice cream or one pint of wine sorbet like this for it to equal just one glass of actual wine.
State lawmakers also passed a bill allowing wineries to offer tastings starting at 10:00 a.m., instead of noon. Kostic said this will also benefit his business.
"Sampling is very important. One of the things that we do all the time is allow people to taste prior to buying anything,” said Kostick.
So far, people seem to like what they taste.
Ice cream and wine have come together to create a tasty new treat for adults, and, now New York lawmakers have passed a new bill exempting the dessert from state liquor laws. Our Giselle Phelps spoke with a wine ice cream maker and tells us why he thinks this is a sweet move.
"It was nice, I enjoyed it. I'm not a wine drinker, but I liked the ice cream or sorbet, it was real good, different to me anyway,” said Bill Volz, Penn Yan resident
Both bills will be given to Governor Paterson to sign or veto.