Paterson proposes wine sales in grocery stores?!?

This little paragraph mentions something revolutionary (for New York State, at least) in the midst of the various tax increases Gov. Paterson is proposing:

Beer and wine drinkers may pay higher excise taxes, but consumers would be able to buy wine from groceries and drug stores. At present, beer is available in groceries and drug stores but wine can only be sold at specialist liquor stores.

WTF? I always thought that New York's silly wine-is-hard-alcohol law was some sort of unchangeable post-repeal deal that was worked out between the mob and the Catholic church. I guess hard times = more wine!

I approve.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1619220420081216