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. Existing law provides that a violation of the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act is a misdemeanor, unless otherwise specified.

This bill, instead, would subject 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. The bill would require a person the licensee designates to provide the instructional tasting to possess a valid alcohol server certification, as specified. The bill would require a designated person to be present at the instructional tasting and actively overseeing all alcoholic beverage service for the entire duration of the instructional tasting. By expanding an existing crime, this bill imposes a state-mandated local program.