(a) A wine festival permit shall allow the holder of a manufacturer permit for a farm winery, issued pursuant to section 30-16, to participate in a wine festival organized and sponsored by an association that promotes the manufacturing and selling of farm wine in this state or such association's not-for-profit subsidiary. Such association or such association's not-for-profit subsidiary shall not organize and sponsor more than two such wine festivals in any calendar year. The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall allow only two such wine festivals in any calendar year, regardless of the number of such farm winery permittees or such organizing and sponsoring associations or not-for-profit subsidiaries participating in such wine festivals.

(b) A wine festival permit shall authorize: (1) The sale and shipment of wine manufactured by the farm winery permittee and sold at such wine festival to persons outside the state; (2) the offering and tasting of free samples of wine to visitors and prospective retail customers for consumption on the grounds of the wine festival; (3) the sale at retail of sealed bottles or other sealed containers of wine for consumption off the grounds of the wine festival; and (4) the sale at retail of wine by the glass or receptacle, provided the glass or receptacle is embossed or otherwise permanently labeled with the name and date of the wine festival.

(c) No farm winery permittee may sell, offer or give to any person or entity wine not manufactured by such farm winery.

(d) Only two wine festival permits may be issued per calendar year pursuant to this section by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection to each holder of a manufacturer permit for a farm winery. A wine festival permit shall not be effective for more than three consecutive days per calendar year. The fee for a wine festival permit shall be seventy-five dollars.

(P.A. 09-47, S. 3; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1, S. 16.)

History: P.A. 09-47 effective May 20, 2009; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 amended Subsecs. (a) and (d) to change number of authorized wine festivals under permit from 1 to 2 and make technical changes, effective October 27, 2011.