HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 6589

As Passed House:

                        March 3, 2000

Title:  An act relating to domestic wineries.

Brief Description:  Allowing domestic wineries to exercise licensing privileges at up to two additional locations.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Commerce, Trade, Housing & Financial Institutions (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice, Hale, Deccio, Rasmussen, Loveland, B. Sheldon, West, McAuliffe and Kohl‑Welles).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor:  2/23/00.

Floor Activity:

Passed Senate:  2/11/00, 43-0.

Passed House:  3/3/00, 98-0.

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Allows a licensed domestic winery to provide tasting rooms and sell it's product at retail at two additional locations separate from the winery's production site.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority/Minority Report:  None.  (Bill removed from committee on 3/1/00).

Staff:  Pam Madson (786-7166).

Background:

A licensed domestic winery may manufacture wine and may act as a distributor of its own product.  It may also act as a retailer of its own product at the winery site.  It may also hold a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license for operation at the winery site.

Summary of Bill:

A licensed domestic winery may serve samples of it's own product, with or without charge, and may sell wine of it's own product for off-premise consumption at up to two locations separate from the site of its manufacturing activity.  Each additional location must be approved by the Liquor Control Board.  The winery may not act as a distributor from any of the additional locations.  Each additional location is considered part of the winery's license for purposes of the liquor laws.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Currently, a winery may have a tasting room on the winery premises. This bill would allow two additional sites allowing limited service to sell the winery product.  Wineries are located in a variety of locations, some more remote than others or in locations less suited to attracting retail customers.  A smaller winery would have additional venues in which to sell its product under this bill.  Tasting rooms located in downtown areas can assist in revitalizing shopping areas.  This bill provides for limited service at the additional locations under the winery license and does not transfer the full range of privileges to the additional locations.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Jean Leonard, Washington Wine Institute; Dick Ducharme, Washington Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association; and Rick Garza, Liquor Control Board.