SB285 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andrew JonesSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to wine and mead; to amend Section 28-3A-20.4, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide that a nonprofit organization may be issued a license to host a wine festival; to further provide for the application process and conditions of licensure to host or participate in a wine festival; and to further provide for the collection and remittance of taxes due on the sale of wine at a wine festival; to amend Section 28-6A-2, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for wine manufacturer licensees located in dry counties by allowing such manufacturers to transport and sell wine to retailers under certain limits and to specify that such licensees may host or participate in wine festivals; to amend Section 28-7-10.1, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for small farm wineries by permitting such wineries to produce mead; and to amend Section 28-7-16, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the excise tax rate for mead.

Summary

SB285 creates a nonprofit license to host wine festivals, expands production and distribution options for dry-county producers, and aligns mead production and taxes with wine.

What This Bill Does

It allows a nonprofit organization to apply for and receive a license to host a wine festival, and it streamlines the license application process for hosts and participants. It lets wine festival hosts collect and remit state and local taxes on festival wine sales, with pathways for participants to use the host's tax remittance. It expands production and distribution rules by letting dry-county wine manufacturers transport and sell wine directly to retailers (within set annual gallon limits) and to host or participate in wine festivals, and it allows small farm wineries to produce mead and sets mead taxes to match table wine.

Who It Affects

• Nonprofit organizations and wine festival hosts/participants who gain a license to host or participate in a festival and related tax remittance responsibilities.
• Wine producers in dry counties and small farm wineries (including mead producers) who gain new selling and festival participation rights and a changed tax regime.

Key Provisions

• Creates a wine festival licensing framework allowing nonprofits to host festivals and simplifies the application process, with host and participant licenses and local tax remittance rules.
• Authorizes dry-county wine manufacturers to transport and sell wine to retailers under set gallon limits and to host or participate in wine festivals, allows small farm wineries to produce mead, and sets mead excise tax to the same rate structure as table wine.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Wine festivals, permit nonprofit organization to host or sponsor