A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to amend the requirements to hold a wine‑tasting permit and to amend the law concerning community college viticulture/enology programs.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 18B‑1001(15) reads as rewritten:
"(15)	Wine‑Tasting Permit. – A wine‑tasting permit authorizes wine tastings on a premises holding a retail permit, by the retail permit holder or his employee. A wine tasting consists of the offering of a sample of one or more unfortified wine products, in amounts of no more than one ounce for each sample, without charge, to customers of the business. Any person pouring wine at a wine tasting shall be at least 21 years of age.
a.	Representatives of the winery, which produced the wine, the wine producer, a wholesaler, or a wholesaler's employee may assist with the tasting. Assisting with a wine tasting includes, but is not limited to:
1.	Pouring samples for customers.
2.	Checking the identification of patrons being served at the wine tasting.
b.	When a representative of the winery which produced the wine, the wine producer, a wine wholesaler, or a wine wholesaler's employee assists in a wine tasting conducted by a retail permit holder:
1.	The retail permit holder shall designate an employee to actively supervise the wine tasting.
2.	A retail permit holder's employee shall not supervise more than three wine‑tasting areas.
3.	No more than six wines may be tasted at any one tasting area.
4.	The wine tasting shall not last longer than four hours from the time designated as the starting time by the retail permit holder.
c.	The retail permit holder shall be solely liable for any violations of law occurring in connection with the wine tasting.
The Commission shall adopt rules to assure that the tastings are limited to samplings and not a subterfuge for the unlawful sale or distribution of wine, and that the tastings are not used by industry members for unlawful inducements to retail permit holders, and do not violate existing rules. Except for purposes of this subsection, the holder of a wine‑tasting permit shall not be construed to hold a permit for the on‑premises sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. Any food business is eligible for a wine‑tasting permit."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 18B‑1114.4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 18B‑1114.4.  Viticulture/Enology course authorization.
(a)	Authorization. – The holder of a viticulture/enology course authorization may:
(1)	Manufacture wine from grapes grown on the school's campus or the school's contracted or leased property for the purpose of providing instruction and education on the making of unfortified wines.
(2)	Possess wines manufactured during the viticulture/enology program for the purpose of conducting wine‑tasting seminars and classes for students who are 21 years of age or older.
(3)	Sell wines produced during the course to wholesalers or to retailers upon obtaining a wine wholesaler permit under G.S. 18B‑1107, except that the permittee may not receive shipments of wines from other producers.
(b)	Limitation. – Authorization for a viticulture/enology course shall be granted by the Commission only for a community college or college that offers a viticulture/enology program as a part of its curriculum offerings for students of the school. Wines may be manufactured only from grapes grown in a viticulture/enology course  vineyard that is located on the school's campus or the school's contracted or leased property.
(c)	The holder of a vitaculture/enology course authorization who obtains a wine wholesaler permit under G.S. 18B-1107 subject to the limitation in subsection (a) of this section may  obtain a winery special event permit under G.S. 18B‑1114.1, and where the permit is valid may participate in approved events and sell at retail at those events any wine produced incident to the operation of the vitaculture/enology program. The holder of a vitaculture/enology course authorization may participate in not more than six winery special events within a twelve-month period and may sell up to 25 cases of wine at each event. Net proceeds from the program's retail sale of wine pursuant to this subsection shall be retained by the school and used for support of the viticulture/enology program.
(d)	The holder of a viticulture/enology course authorization shall not be considered a winery for the purposes of this Chapter or Chapter 105 of the General Statutes."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 18B-1114.1(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Authorization. – The holder of an unfortified winery permit, a limited winery permit, a vitaculture/enology course authorization, or a wine producer permit may obtain a winery special permit allowing the winery or wine producer to give free tastings of its wine, and to sell its wine by the glass or in closed containers, at trade shows, conventions, shopping malls, wine festivals, street festivals, holiday festivals, agricultural festivals, balloon races, local fund‑raisers, and other similar events approved by the Commission."
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.