Bill > S1793

Introduced Session

This bill facilitates the creation of New Jersey wineries by allowing small growers to share manufacturing responsibilities and costs. Under current law, a farm winery is only eligible for a license if all aspects of the manufacturing process occur at the same location where grapes are grown. Wine manufacturing processes are: vinification, aging, storage, blending, clarification, stabilization and bottling. This bill creates a new type of winery license, the cooperative farm winery license. This license makes those who are growing grapes on at least three acres eligible to enter into a cooperative agreement with at least one other individual or entity also involved in the growing and cultivating of grapes on at least three acres. Documentation of the cooperative agreement must be kept on file with the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and individuals or entities are only eligible to enter into one cooperative agreement. The cooperative is not required to conduct all manufacturing processes in one place and may share the costs and responsibilities of manufacturing. This bill would require farm winery cooperatives to use grapes and fruits grown in New Jersey, at least to the extent required for labeling as "New Jersey Wine" under the applicable federal laws and regulations. In addition, the new cooperative farm winery license would entitle the cooperative to establish a total of six salesrooms; current law entitles each farm winery to establish six salesrooms. The fee for this license shall be graduated as follows: to manufacture between 30,000 and 50,000 gallons per year, $550; to manufacture between 2,500 and 30,000 gallons per year, $375; to manufacture between 1,000 and 2,500 gallons per year, $200; to manufacture less than 1,000 gallons per year, $100. The fees established for cooperative farm winery licenses are higher than the current farm winery license fees.

AI Summary

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Gerald Cardinale (R)*,  Tom Kean (R)*,  Raymond Lesniak (D)*,  Nicholas Sacco (D), 

Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 10/18/2010)