HB637 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Johnny Mack Morrow

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Small wineries, sales and distribution of wine by wineries, wine tasting facilities, direct sale of small wineries' wine, Small Winery Business Viability Act, Sec. 28-7-18 am'd.

Summary

The Alabama Small Winery Business Viability Act would expand how small Alabama wineries operate by enabling direct sales, tasting rooms, and inter-winery distribution while updating wine laws.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the act would let licensed Alabama small wineries sell up to 24,000 gallons per year directly to Alabama retailers in original containers and allow them to produce bottled wine for other small wineries. It would allow on-site tasting rooms and Sunday sales where legal, and permit small wineries to receive and sell wine from other small wineries at their premises. It would authorize bulk and in-state/out-of-state wine movements with reporting requirements and establish licensing and tax rules, including a $500 annual license tax, a $50 bulk-wine license, and a 0.45 per liter excise tax on wine dispensed or sold in tasting rooms.

Who It Affects

• Alabama small wineries (and their affiliates) would gain expanded direct sales to retailers, permission to make wine for other small wineries, ability to operate tasting rooms, and new reporting and licensing requirements.
• Wine wholesalers, retailers, and consumers in Alabama would be affected by new direct-sale and distribution rules, revised tax structures for wine dispensed in tasting rooms, and increased access to wines from multiple small wineries, including Sunday sales in areas where legal.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Alabama Small Winery Business Viability Act with defined terms and purpose.
• Allows Alabama small wineries to sell up to 24,000 gallons per year directly to licensed Alabama retailers in original containers.
• Allows small wineries to produce bottled wine for other small wineries and to sell wine from other small wineries at their premises.
• Permits on-site tasting rooms and tasting events, authorizes Sunday sales where legal, and allows sales of wine from other small wineries at the winery.
• Authorizes small wineries to operate in a wholesale-like manner for certain transactions and to receive/acquire shipments from other small winery licensees; permits bulk shipments from out-of-state up to 20% of annual production with reporting.
• Imposes licensing and tax rules, including a $500 annual license tax per small winery license and a $50 annual license for bulk-wine shipments.
• Imposes a 0.45-dollar per liter excise tax on wine dispensed or sold in tasting rooms, to be collected by wholesalers or the originator.
• Amends Section 28-7-18 to allow direct sale of table wine by manufacturers on premises and to align wine sales from small wineries with the act.
• Allows Sundays sales of wine in counties/municipalities where wine sales are lawful, with specified hours (12:30 PM to 12:00 Midnight) in tasting rooms or licensed winery facilities.
• Requires annual license, reporting, and record-keeping for bulk wine shipments and in-state/out-of-state transactions; sets effective date as the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Alcoholic Beverages