A municipality with the approval of the commissioner may issue a temporary license to a bona fide association of owners and operators of wineries sponsoring an annual festival to showcase wines produced by members of the association. The commissioner may only approve one temporary license in a calendar year for each qualified association under this subdivision. The license issued under this subdivision authorizes the sale of table, sparkling, or fortified wines produced by the wineries at on-sale by the glass, provided that no more than two glasses per customer may be sold, and off-sale by the bottle, provided that no more than six bottles in total per customer may be sold. The license also authorizes the dispensing of free samples of the wines offered for sale within designated premises of the festival. A license issued under this subdivision is subject to all laws and ordinances governing the sale, possession, and consumption of table, sparkling, or fortified wines. For purposes of this subdivision, a "bona fide association of owners and operators of wineries" means an association of more than ten wineries that has been in existence for more than two years at the time of application for the temporary license.
History:2011 c 55 s 8; 2012 c 235 s 4,12