OLR Bill Analysis

HB 6472

AN ACT CONCERNING WINE FESTIVALS.

SUMMARY:

This bill creates two liquor permit classes for the purpose of hosting or attending wine festivals and allows certain classes of permittees to hold multiple permits concurrently. It allows the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association, or its not-for-profit subsidiary, to host one festival per calendar year and allows out-of-state charitable wine foundations to receive one permit per foundation, per year to host a festival.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage

PERMIT CLASSES

The bill establishes two classes of permits for hosting wine festivals. One permit allows farm winery manufacturer permittees to participate in an annual festival hosted by the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association or the association's not-for-profit subsidiary. Only one wine festival permit may be issued to each manufacturer permittee per year.

The second permit allows an out-of-state charitable wine foundation to obtain a permit to participate in a wine festival organized by that foundation or its not-for-profit subsidiary. The bill does not define “charitable wine foundation. ” Only one out-of-state entity wine festival permit may be issued per year, per foundation.

PERMIT PRIVILEGES

Both permits allow the sale and shipment by a permittee to persons outside the state; free samples and tasting at the event; sale of sealed bottles for off-premises consumption; and sale of wine by the glass at the event, if the glass or container has the name and date of the festival on it.

REQUIREMENTS

The cost of either permit is $ 75 and both have a three-day limit. Permit recipients must notify the chief municipal law enforcement official in writing of the hours and dates of the festival no later than seven days before the event. Hours for both festivals must be between 11: 00 a. m. and 8: 00 p. m. on Sundays and 10: 00 a. m. and 8: 00 p. m. all other days, though towns may vote to further limit the hours in which sale or tasting may be permitted. The bill does not set penalties for violations of these provisions.

HOLDERS OF MULTIPLE PERMITS

The bill allows (1) holders of a manufacturer's permit for a farm winery to hold a wine festival permit and (2) holders of out-of-state winery shipper's permits to hold an out-of-state charity wine festival permit.

COMMITTEE ACTION

General Law Committee

Joint Favorable