§ 66.24.170. Domestic winery license -- Winery as distributor and/or retailer of own wine -- Off-premise samples -- Domestic wine made into sparkling wine -- Sales at qualifying farmers markets
(1) There shall be a license for domestic wineries; fee to be computed only on the liters manufactured: Less than two hundred fifty thousand liters per year, one hundred dollars per year; and two hundred fifty thousand liters or more per year, four hundred dollars per year.
(2) The license allows for the manufacture of wine in Washington state from grapes or other agricultural products.
(3) Any domestic winery licensed under this section may also act as a retailer of wine of its own production. Any domestic winery licensed under this section may act as a distributor of its own production. Notwithstanding any language in this title to the contrary, a domestic winery may use a common carrier to deliver up to one hundred cases of its own production, in the aggregate, per month to licensed Washington retailers. A domestic winery may not arrange for any such common carrier shipments to licensed retailers of wine not of its own production. Except as provided in this section, any winery operating as a distributor and/or retailer under this subsection shall comply with the applicable laws and rules relating to distributors and/or retailers.
(4) A domestic winery licensed under this section, at locations separate from any of its production or manufacturing sites, may serve samples of its own products, with or without charge, and sell wine of its own production at retail, provided that: (a) Each additional location has been approved by the board under RCW 66.24.010; (b) the total number of additional locations does not exceed two; (c) a winery may not act as a distributor at any such additional location; and (d) any person selling or serving wine at an additional location for on-premise consumption must obtain a class 12 or class 13 alcohol server permit. Each additional location is deemed to be part of the winery license for the purpose of this title. At additional locations operated by multiple wineries under this section, if the board cannot connect a violation of RCW 66.44.200 or 66.44.270 to a single licensee, the board may hold all licensees operating the additional location jointly liable. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a domestic winery from holding multiple domestic winery licenses.
(5)(a) A domestic winery licensed under this section may apply to the board for an endorsement to sell wine of its own production at retail for off-premises consumption at a qualifying farmers market. The annual fee for this endorsement is seventy-five dollars. An endorsement issued pursuant to this subsection does not count toward the two additional retail locations limit specified in this section.
(b) For each month during which a domestic winery will sell wine at a qualifying farmers market, the winery must provide the board or its designee a list of the dates, times, and locations at which bottled wine may be offered for sale. This list must be received by the board before the winery may offer wine for sale at a qualifying farmers market.
(c) The wine sold at qualifying farmers markets must be made entirely from grapes grown in a recognized Washington appellation or from other agricultural products grown in this state.
(d) Each approved location in a qualifying farmers market is deemed to be part of the winery license for the purpose of this title. The approved locations under an endorsement granted under this subsection do not include the tasting or sampling privilege of a winery. The winery may not store wine at a farmers market beyond the hours that the winery offers bottled wine for sale. The winery may not act as a distributor from a farmers market location.
(e) Before a winery may sell bottled wine at a qualifying farmers market, the farmers market must apply to the board for authorization for any winery with an endorsement approved under this subsection to sell bottled wine at retail at the farmers market. This application shall include, at a minimum: (i) A map of the farmers market showing all booths, stalls, or other designated locations at which an approved winery may sell bottled wine; and (ii) the name and contact information for the on-site market managers who may be contacted by the board or its designee to verify the locations at which bottled wine may be sold. Before authorizing a qualifying farmers market to allow an approved winery to sell bottled wine at retail at its farmers market location, the board shall notify the persons or entities of such application for authorization pursuant to RCW 66.24.010 (8) and (9). An authorization granted under this subsection (5)(e) may be withdrawn by the board for any violation of this title or any rules adopted under this title.
(f) The board may adopt rules establishing the application and approval process under this section and such additional rules as may be necessary to implement this section.
(g) For the purposes of this subsection:
(i) "Qualifying farmers market" means an entity that sponsors a regular assembly of vendors at a defined location for the purpose of promoting the sale of agricultural products grown or produced in this state directly to the consumer under conditions that meet the following minimum requirements:
(A) There are at least five participating vendors who are farmers selling their own agricultural products;
(B) The total combined gross annual sales of vendors who are farmers exceeds the total combined gross annual sales of vendors who are processors or resellers;
(C) The total combined gross annual sales of vendors who are farmers, processors, or resellers exceeds the total combined gross annual sales of vendors who are not farmers, processors, or resellers;
(D) The sale of imported items and secondhand items by any vendor is prohibited; and
(E) No vendor is a franchisee.
(ii) "Farmer" means a natural person who sells, with or without processing, agricultural products that he or she raises on land he or she owns or leases in this state or in another state's county that borders this state.
(iii) "Processor" means a natural person who sells processed food that he or she has personally prepared on land he or she owns or leases in this state or in another state's county that borders this state.
(iv) "Reseller" means a natural person who buys agricultural products from a farmer and resells the products directly to the consumer.
(6) Wine produced in Washington state by a domestic winery licensee may be shipped out-of-state for the purpose of making it into sparkling wine and then returned to such licensee for resale. Such wine shall be deemed wine manufactured in the state of Washington for the purposes of RCW 66.24.206, and shall not require a special license.
[2008 c 41 § 5; 2007 c 16 § 2; 2006 c 302 § 1; 2003 c 44 § 1; 2000 c 141 § 1; 1997 c 321 § 3; 1991 c 192 § 2; 1982 c 85 § 4; 1981 1st ex.s. c 5 § 31; 1939 c 172 § 1 (23C); 1937 c 217 § 1 (23C) (adding new section 23-C to 1933 ex.s. c 62); RRS § 7306-23C. Formerly RCW 66.24.170, 66.24.180, and 66.24.190.]
Notes:
Effective date -- 2006 c 302: "Except for sections 10 and 12 of this act, this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect April 14, 2006." [2006 c 302 § 16.]
Effective date -- 1997 c 321: See note following RCW 66.24.010.
Severability -- Effective date -- 1981 1st ex.s. c 5: See RCW 66.98.090 and 66.98.100.
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Last modified: April 7, 2009