Wine Costs a Lot More in the Utica-Rome Area Than Anywhere Else: Here’s Why

If you thought wine prices in Central New York were absurd, a new report says you're definitely right.

Last year, New Yorkers drank a collective 59.3 million gallons of wine, the 4th largest amount consumed across all 50 states.

While that number sounds impressive, it's actually a decrease of previous studies.

Wine sales nationwide are slumping, dropping at least 6% between 2023 and 2024.

Studies claim people are turning away from wine in favor of premixed, ready-to-drink options. However, it also may be due to how expensive wine has become.

Despite being a major wine-drinking state, New York also charges some of the highest prices.

A new report from Vin00s identified where Americans pay the most and least for a bottle of wine. Unsurprisingly, New York was not found to be friendly on the wine-drinker's wallet.

Read More: New York Lawmakers Pushing for Wine to Be Sold at Grocery Stores

In a ranking of the top 10 most expensive areas to buy wine, 3 cities in New York made the top 10.

In fourth place was Albany, with bottle prices averaging around $14.85. Buffalo claimed a seventh place finish, with an average bottle of wine selling for $14.33.

Shockingly, coming in 9th place was the Utica/Rome area. It was found the area's average bottle price came out to $14.18.

This means wine is more expensive here in the Mohawk Valley than it is in New York City, Syracuse, and Rochester.

What is causing our little area to have some of the nation's highest wine prices? Vin00s suggests it could be local regulations, taxes, and distribution laws that are passed down to consumers.

For those curious, here's what the top 10 most expensive wine hot spots looked like:

1. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
2. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
3. Scranton, Pennsylvania
4. Albany, New York
5. Jonesboro, Arkansas
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7. Buffalo, New York
8. Allentown, Pennsylvania
9. Utica-Rome, New York
10. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

The only reason why Pennsylvania had more cities on the list than New York is because the state has extremely strict alcohol control policies, which results in standardized pricing and limited competition.

On the other hand, some may be shocked to not see a single California city or town on the list. That's because wine prices there are actually among the best in the country.

The Golden State had four of the top 10 most affordable cities to buy wine: Los Angeles-Long Beach, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Jose.

An average price for a bottle of wine in California goes for around $10, which is about 40% less than what people in the Mohawk Valley are paying.

We want the wine drinkers to sound off in the comments below using our station app: what do you think of the area's wine prices?

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