The new law, according to the New York State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, requires that patrons order a full-course meal, that the facility be a "bona fide" restaurant overseen by a chef at all times, that the establishment must possess either a restaurant wine license or liquor license, and that it provide a dated receipt. Additionally, the manner in which the wine is handled calls for the restaurant to "securely reseal the bottle of wine, place the resealed bottle in a one-time-use, tamper-proof transparent bag, and securely seal the bag."
Troy Waffner, legislative director for New York Assemblyman Bill Magee, the measure's co-author, hopes that the legislation will "discourage people from finishing a bottle of wine, reducing the chance of drinking too much and ending up with a DWI, or worse." Donna Kopec, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in New York State, echoes this sentiment. "As long as the bottle is corked and in the trunk of the car," she says, "MADD is in support of the bill."
The legislation also aims to boost sales for restaurants and promote the growing New York wine industry. By providing patrons with the ability to take home their unfinished wine, Waffner says "hopefully people will order more bottles of New York wines."
