Albany

I don't know state Sen. Jeff Klein, so I can't say if he drinks wine. But I can say this: The Democrat from the Bronx has taken a very keen interest in the wine business.

Klein, you see, has proposed a ridiculous law that would affect nearly everyone in New York who buys or sells wine. For nearly all of us, the law's impact would be negative. But the law would benefit at least one massive distributor — Empire Merchants.

And guess what?

Empire Merchants and a handful of its top executives have given Klein $53,000 in campaign contributions since 2009.

Klein's bill would require that wine be warehoused in New York for at least 24 hours before it's sold in the state. That may sound harmless, but here's the problem: Most distributors have warehouses in New Jersey, near the port at which much wine arrives.

Those distributors say forcing them to rent separate buildings in New York would increase the cost of their wines. The added cost might even lead smaller distributors to avoid the state — or force them out of business altogether.

The law, then, would be bad for wine drinkers.

But it would be terrific for Empire Merchants and another massive distributor, Miami-based Southern Wine and Spirits. Both companies already have warehouses in New York. Their large share of the market would grow even bigger.

"They want to eliminate the competition," said Vic Christopher, co-owner of a popular wine bar in downtown Troy. "This is a Goliath-versus-David situation."

Christopher works with 14 different wine distributors. Most are small and owned by independent operators who warehouse in New Jersey. Why should they be forced to open additional warehouses in New York?

"The law would limit access to wine," Christopher said. "It would cut New York off from what we consider the best hand-crafted wines in the world."

Well, that's just one man's opinion. Let's check with Kevin Everleth, owner of the Wine Bar and Bistro in Albany.

"I don't believe two major players should be able to buy legislation at the expense of small-businesspeople, which in my opinion is what's blatantly happening here," Everleth said. "This just absolutely reeks."

I should mention that Empire Merchants is not associated with Empire Wine, the store in Colonie. In fact, Empire Wine also considers the legislation a threat.

"The selection we have would disappear," said Adam Morey, the store's wine buyer. "We wouldn't be able to do what we do."

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The New York Farm Bureau and much of the state's wine industry is also protesting the bill, which opponents call a "cork tax." That's because many New York wineries depend on New Jersey-based distributors.

Now, what would make a state senator from the Bronx wake up one day and propose to reorient the wine business? What made Klein believe the state should decide where private businesses store their product? (The bill is sponsored in the Assembly by Carl Heastie, another Bronx Democrat.)

Klein spokesman Eric Soufer said the bill is primarily about job creation. Noting that other states have similar laws, Soufer said the legislation would level the playing field.

"Businesses have been adapting to incremental increases in the cost of doing business for centuries," Soufer added. "All of them will be able to adapt again."

Klein, by the way, co-leads the Senate. He took power after he and three other Democrats partnered with Senate Republicans to keep the Democratic majority from taking control.

Klein's little group, the Independent Democratic Conference, has also benefited from Empire's largess. Its other members and the IDC Initiative have together garnered $31,000 from the company in recent years, according to the state's campaign finance database.

That's a significant donation — but Soufer cautioned against drawing conclusions.

"It's fair to question the merits of the bill," he said, "but I don't think implying that my boss has been corrupted by the money is fair."

It's true that Empire, which didn't return a request for comment, hasn't limited its generosity to Klein. Nearly every elected official of note has received money from the unit of the Manhattan-based Charmer-Sunbelt Group, one of the nation's biggest booze distributors.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo alone has received $259,850 in campaign contributions from Empire and its top executives since 2009.

The governor hasn't taken a position on Klein's legislation, a spokesman said, and is waiting for an economic impact analysis before doing so.

To me, the impact is clear: Klein's bill would hurt small businesses, providing yet another example of government tilting the rules in favor of the biggest companies and most generous donors.

And we wonder why the rich keep getting richer.

cchurchill@timesunion.com • 518-454-5700 • @chris_churchill