Davis signs wine bill

Wines & Vines, Nov, 2003

A bill sponsored by the Family Winemakers of California that allows wineries to sell wine at events held by certain private nonprofit organizations has been signed into law by California Governor Gray Davis.

The qualifying private nonprofit organizations specified in the bill are labor, agricultural or horticultural groups; fraternal orders; religious, charitable, or scientific groups; business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards and boards of trade; religious or apostolic corporations; domestic fraternal societies; political organizations and veterans groups.

The new privilege for licensed winegrowers adds to recent market access gains. Earlier legislation allowed for orders to be taken at nonprofit wine-tastings, and for bottled wine to be sold at certified farmers' markets.