California Laws for the Wine Community Effective Jan. 1, 2022

Despite many challenges this year due to COVID-19, wildfires and the attempted gubernatorial recall effort, the Wine Institute Sacramento office was pleased with the passage of several bills supported by our wine communities during the most recent California legislative session that ended in September. Wine Institute staff worked to organize and lead a coalition of 20 statewide and regional wine associations to pass important alcohol beverage related legislation and served as a primary voice in favor of legislation to give communities tools to better prepare for wildfires. We wanted to remind our members of new legislation from the session that will take effect January 1, 2022. Some highlights are below, and the full list can be viewed here.   

Alcohol Policy 

SB 19 (Glazer) – Additional Tasting Rooms: This bill allows wineries to have three tasting rooms — one at the production facility and two offsite at duplicate premises. Wineries will need to pay a one-time $440 application fee for the additional facility. Wine Institute supported the bill. 

AB 1267 (Cunningham) – Charitable Promotions and Sales: This bill authorizes an alcohol beverage licensee to advertise or promote a donation to a nonprofit charitable organization in connection with the sale of an alcohol beverage. Wine Institute supported the bill. 

AB 239 (Villapudua and Rivas) – Refillable Wine Containers at Duplicate Premises: This bill allows wine containers to be refilled at a Duplicate-02 premise. Prior to the passage of this measure, containers could only be refilled at the Master-02 premise (i.e., winery). The bill was sponsored by the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association. Wine Institute supported the bill. 

Wildfires 

AB 642 (Friedman) – Wildfires: This bill enacts numerous provisions intended to increase the use of prescribed burning, including the creation of a prescribed burning training center. Wine Institute supported this bill.  

SB 332 (Dodd) – Prescribed Burn Liability: This bill releases from liability for the cost of fire suppression, unless conducted in a grossly negligent manner, a certified burn boss and a private landowner who performs, supervises, or oversees a prescribed burn. Wine Institute supported this bill.

VIEW THE FULL LIST