Stone Harbor Allowing Wine Sales

Stone Harbor allows eateries to sell N.J. wines
Press of Atlantic City
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Updated: Wednesday, July 19, 2006

STONE HARBOR — Borough Council passed a law Tuesday that will allow BYOB restaurants to start selling Garden State wines later this summer.

Better known for its blueberries and tomatoes, New Jersey allows local wineries to sell their product at many eateries to promote the winegrowing industry.

Borough Council allowed the sales by enlarging its existing alcohol zone, which excludes most restaurants, to include sales of New Jersey wines.

Deanna Ebner, who owns Sea Salt on 83rd Street with her husband, said the ordinance will allow her business to offer another option to patrons.

They already incorporate locally grown fruits and vegetables in their menus, so the local vino made sense, she said.

Ebner doesn't know how much it will affect her business, where people can bring their own wines from far more diverse regions around the world.

Several other restaurateurs spoke in support of the decision.

But Stone Harbor's wine decision didn't go down very smoothly.

It left a bitter taste in the mouths of some.

Martha Conlin, who lives on 84th Street, said there was no reason to introduce more alcohol sales in the area, particularly those near residences.

“We've never had it before. I don't see the reason for having it now,” she said. “We are a family-oriented town, and I feel that's the way we need to stay.”

Borough Solicitor Michael Donohue said Stone Harbor has been approached about a half dozen times in the past four years by restaurants seeking to sell New Jersey-produced wines with dinner.

But those establishments were outside the downtown alcohol zone, which centers around 96th Street and 2nd and 3rd avenues, and requests were denied.

Recently, the borough sent the issue to the Planning Board, which in June week voted to recommend such sales anywhere in the business districts, which run for several blocks along 2nd and 3rd avenues and in two satellite districts at 83rd and 107th streets.

The law only allows the sale of New Jersey wines and only at restaurants.

Borough Council voted 5-1 on the ordinance.

Councilman Karl Giulian dissented, stating that wine is alcohol, no matter how you look at it, and the ordinance is bringing alcohol to the neighborhoods.

He also feared that the state would expand its New Jersey winery program to include local breweries or more intoxicating liquors.

New Jersey — no Napa Valley, Calif., by any stretch — has more than two dozen wineries, including several in Cape May County.

According to the Garden State Winegrowers Association, the state produces more than 1 million gallons a year.

To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:BIanieri@pressofac.com