Alcoholic beverage control: instructional events: wine.

Existing law generally prohibits a manufacturer, winegrower, manufacturer's agent, California winegrower's agent, rectifier, distiller, bottler, importer, or wholesaler, or any officer, director, agent, or representative of that person from, among other things, providing a licensee alcoholic beverages as a free good as a part of any sale or transaction involving alcoholic beverages, or furnishing anything of value to a licensee for specified purposes. However, existing law authorizes any winegrower, California winegrower's agent, importer, or any director, partner, officer, agent, or representative of that person, to conduct or participate in an instructional event for consumers held at a retailer's premises featuring wines produced by or for the winegrower or imported by the importer, subject to certain specified conditions. Existing law specifies that alcoholic beverages shall not be given away at these instructional events, but wine may be sampled if it is taken from barrels or tanks in minimal amounts. This bill would revise the sampling provision to additionally allow for wine samples to be provided at the instructional event from bottles, specify how those wine bottles are removed, and would clarify the allowable amount provided as samples. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides that a violation of any of its provisions for which another penalty or punishment is not specifically provided is a misdemeanor. This bill would expand existing crimes by imposing additional requirements on a licensee under the act, thus, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.