Help keep your locally owned businesses going strong!

Locally owned businesses, like Ryan's Wine & Spirits, have been a part of the Canandaigua community since LONG before the bigger grocery/big box chain stores were!  All too often, we see another "closed for good" sign in a window because of a large chain store strong-arming their way through the system.   

You CAN make a difference by writing or going online and sending your Representative and Governor a message!  CLICK HERE  TO SEND AN ELECTRONIC LETTER!

Don't be fooled by the myths!  Selling t-shirts, bags of ice or winebags, cannot make up the loss of revenue!  Did you know that small business retailers who would be affected by the Governor’s proposal have indicated that 65%-80% of their overall sales are devoted to wine – putting their store’s livelihood and employees’ jobs at great risk.

 

STATE DOB KILLED STUDY OF WIGS, COMMISSION CHAIRMAN TESTIFIES

Testimony Conflicts with Commission Report, Which May Have Been Doctored, http://www.lastmainstreetstore.com/

 

Click the link below for a GREAT article written by a WINERY OWNER!!

http://www.buffalonews.com/

 

 

 

 (click picture for more news you can use!)

“This misguided plan would put money in the pockets of Big Box stores without creating even one new job, while imperiling Main Street businesses across the state and the thousands of jobs they provide,” said Jeff Saunders, founder of the Last Store on Main Street coalition and president of the Retailers Alliance. “In the worst economy since the Great Depression, Governor Paterson is proposing a job-killing plan that would crush small businesses across New York. It’s outrageous and wrong.”
 
“This is a phony compromise that only provides cover for the Big Box stores in their quest to destroy our business and squeeze out more corporate profits,” said Stefan Kalogridis, a coalition leader and president of the New York State Liquor Store Association. “New Yorkers can spot a phony idea every time and there is nothing phonier than a Big Box store that claims it wants to help small businesses.”
 
“Our stores are already struggling with significant losses as a result of the economic slowdown, and taking away nearly 30 percent of their profit would put even the strongest stores at risk,” said Michael Correra, a coalition leader and executive director of the Metropolitan Package Store Association. “It’s amazing that Governor Paterson simply ignores the Law Review Commission report and its recommendations. It’s that same attitude that emboldens bodegas to sell nutcrackers to kids. You have to wonder what Governor Paterson is thinking.”  - The Last Store On Main Street.com
 
MEDIA STATEMENT
TEAMSTERS JOINT COUNCIL 16 CALL ON ALBANY TO WITHDRAW PLAN
TO LEGALIZE WINE IN 19,000 NEW OUTLETS
 
Plan Would Result in the Loss of Hundreds of Union Jobs
 
Governor Paterson’s plan to legalize wine in 19,000 new outlets will result in the loss of hundreds of good paying, union jobs in a troubled economy.  The Teamsters Joint Council 16 represents 125,000 workers, some of whom deliver wine and liquor to bars, restaurants, and wine and liquor stores across the State.  Our hard-working members will suffer as grocery stores take over the industry and use their own employees, often non-union and under-compensated, to deliver its liquor.   These are middle class jobs, averaging $70,000 a year with over $20,000 a year in benefits.  “This proposal unfairly targets these middle-class workers and New York's small businesses, which will be unable to compete,” said Teamsters President George Miranda. “The State Legislature did the right thing last year when they rejected this proposal. Once again, we’ll fight for the interests of our members, their families, and all New Yorkers by protecting this industry’s status as one of New York’s few remaining bridges to the middle class.”
 
# # #
 
1/19/2010
 
MEDIA STATEMENT
 
Scott Romond, Sales Manager of Osprey’s Dominion,
on Paterson Plan to Legalize Wine Sales
in New York Supermarkets
 
We here at Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards, Ltd. (family owned and operated) are against the plan to expand the sale of wine in any retail outlet other than retail wine and liquor stores. We feel that these retail establishments will not support New York farm wineries who neither have the sales staff, product or distribution ability to reach these outlets.
 
There are many reasons why we are opposed to opening the sales ability to anywhere that beer can be sold. The primary reason is that this will be bad business for New York State wineries who have been making positive inroads in the wine industry with high quality products to non-corporate, Main Street American businesses.  
 

Scott Romond is the Sales Manager of Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards in Peconic, NY.

 

1/19/2010

 
MEDIA STATEMENT
Tom Morgan, Sales Manager of The Lenz Winery,
on Paterson Plan to Legalize Wine Sales
in New York Supermarkets
 
Governor Paterson’s proposal to legalize the sale of wine in 19,000 new outlets is bad business for New York’s wineries. It will mean the proliferation of cheap, discount wines from California, Australia, Chile, Argentina etc. that would compete unfairly with our home grown product and threaten the economic viability of more than 1,000 wine stores that can’t compete for quantity discounts available to supermarket chains. They are already struggling to survive in the current recession under existing license restrictions. New York wines are making significant inroads among New Yorkers in part because our partners in the retail stores have the knowledge, and take to time, to sell our products. We need to work together to find ways to increase the demand for New York wines, not threaten a partnership that has existed for so long and continues to grow stronger.
 
I have been in the wine industry since 1974 and with the Lenz Winery for 24 years and I don't think that this ‘quick fix’ to the state’s financial difficulties is the solution.
 
Tom Morgan is the Sales Manager of The Lenz Winery in Peconic, L.I., N.Y.

1/19/2010
 
Comments or concerns? Please email us at ryanswine@choiceonemail.com