Pataki giveth, Pataki taketh away
New York, a state where wine consumers have a great deal of choice (particularly in the NYC area) but some already high prices, may have to brace themselves for slight rises in prices. Governor Pataki is proposing to raise the state tax on wine from $0.05 to $0.28 per liter.
But consumers don’t have to worry unduly since it would just affect wines made in New York state (the country’s second largest producing state with 4% of national production). Nor do producers need not fret unduly since Pataki is also providing the state’s wine makers with $3.5 million in promotional funds. A nice silver lining.