Alcoholic beverages: certified farmers’ market sales permit.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on when the bill will go into effect or its potential impacts on wine sales and tastings at farmers’ markets.

Alcoholic Beverages: Certified Farmers' Market Sales Permit

This bill changes rules for wine sales and tastings at certified farmers’ markets by removing restrictions on the source of grapes used to make wine and allowing multiple licensees to conduct instructional tastings with approval from market operators.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the requirement that grapes or other agricultural products used to make wine must be grown by the licensed winegrower.
• Allows more than one licensee to conduct instructional tasting events during a certified farmers' market's operational hours, with approval from the market operator.
• Requires people conducting instructional tastings at farmers’ markets to complete Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training.

Who It Names or Affects

• Licensed winegrowers who sell wine at certified farmers’ markets
• People attending certified farmers' markets where wine is sold and tasted

Terms To Know

Certified Farmers' Market Sales Permit

A special permit that allows a licensed winegrower to sell wine at approved farmers’ market locations.

Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training

Training for people who serve alcohol, teaching them how to do so safely and responsibly.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify when it will go into effect.
• It is unclear if the changes will increase wine sales or tastings at farmers’ markets.

Official Summary Text

SB 917, as amended, Laird.
Alcoholic beverages: certified farmers’ market sales permit.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue a certified farmers’ market sales permit to a licensed winegrower, which authorizes the licensee, a member of the licensee’s family, or an employee of the licensee to sell wine at certified farmers’ market locations, as provided. The act places certain restrictions on the wine that the licensed winegrower may sell at a certified farmers’ market, including requiring the wine to be produced entirely from grapes or other agricultural products grown by the winegrower.
This bill would remove the requirement that the grapes or other agricultural products that produced the wine be grown by the winegrower.
Under existing law, the certified farmers’ market sales permit authorizes an instructional tasting event by
the licensee on the subject of wine at a certified farmers’ market. Existing law
subjects the instructional tasting event to the authorization and managerial control of the operator of the certified farmers’ market and
prohibits more than one licensee from conducting an instructional tasting event during
a certified farmers’ market.
the operational hours of a certified farmers’ market.
This
bill, instead,
bill
would
subject
increase
the number of licensees allowed to conduct an instructional tasting event during the operational hours of a certified farmers’ market to
the authorization and managerial control of the operator of the certified farmer’s market.
3.
Existing law requires the department to develop, implement, and administer a curriculum for a Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training program, as provided. Existing law requires an alcohol server to successfully complete an RBS training course and to obtain a certification of successful completion of that course, as demonstrated by the successful completion of an exam. Existing law applies the RBS training requirement to a person who serves alcoholic beverages for consumption, or a person who manages or
supervises that person, on premises licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, including a designee for alcoholic beverage sales and service pursuant to a temporary license. Existing law requires a nonprofit organization that has obtained a temporary daily on-sale license or a temporary off-sale license from the department to designate a person or persons to receive RBS training before the event, and requires that designated person or persons to remain onsite for the duration of the event.
This bill would provide that instructional tastings under a certified
farmer’s
farmers’
market sales permit are subject to the RBS training requirement.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF