Permits certain winery license holders to sell wine produced by other winery licensees under certain circumstances; establishes supplemental wine production facility license.
What changed between versions
The bill was expanded from amending only wine-related provisions to rewriting the entire R.S.33:1-10 section covering all manufacturing license types (brewery, winery, distillery, rectifier/blender, bonded warehouse bottling).
New restricted brewery license (subsection 1c) requiring identical ownership with a plenary retail consumption license operated as a restaurant, limited to 300,000 barrels per year, with a cap of 10 such licenses per entity and municipal objection/hearing requirements.
New farm brewery license (subsection 1d) allowing up to 2,500 barrels per year for licensees actively engaged in farming on or adjacent to the brewery premises, with graduated fees of $100-$300 and a limit of one license per entity.
New out-of-state winery license (subsection 2e) allowing holders of valid winery licenses from other states (producing no more than 250,000 gallons per year) to operate in New Jersey with up to 16 salesrooms and direct-to-consumer shipping of 12 cases per year.
New cidery and meadery license (subsection 2f) allowing manufacture of hard cider (up to 50,000 barrels) and mead (up to 250,000 gallons), with retail sales on premises, snack sales permitted, and a $938 fee.
New craft distillery license (subsection 3d) allowing up to 20,000 gallons of distilled spirits with retail sales on and off premises (up to 5 liters per person), sampling privileges, and a 'New Jersey Distilled' labeling option if at least 51% of raw materials are New Jersey-sourced.
New historic distillery license (subsection 3e) for premises listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, with retail sales on and off premises (up to 5 liters per person) and a $1,000 fee.
Alternating proprietorship agreements now permitted for plenary and farm winery licensees to use another New Jersey winery's equipment and space, subject to TTB approval and director approval within 180 days. Applicants may grow grapes within a five-mile radius of the host winery.
Direct-to-consumer shipping privileges added for plenary wineries, farm wineries, out-of-state wineries, and cidery/meadery licensees: up to 12 cases (max 9 liters per case) per year to persons over 21 within or outside the state, with invoice retention requirements.
Salesroom privileges added for plenary wineries (up to 15 salesrooms at $250 each), farm wineries (up to 15 salesrooms at $250 each), and out-of-state wineries (up to 16 salesrooms at $250 each), with a prohibition on joint control and operation of salesrooms.
The original inter-winery wine transfer provisions are retained but expanded: wine transferred in bond is excluded from the producing winery's gallon calculation but included in the receiving winery's, and must be sold under the receiving winery's brand name.
Ownership restrictions added: wineries producing no more than 250,000 gallons per year cannot hold any interest in a winery producing more than 250,000 gallons, and vice versa (for plenary winery licensees).
Food vendor coordination provisions added for limited brewery, cidery/meadery, craft distillery, and historic distillery licenses, referencing P.L.2023, c.290 (C.33:1-10b), while prohibiting operation of a restaurant on licensed premises.
New definitions added for 'sampling' (varying by license type: 4 ounces for brewery/cidery/meadery, 1.5 ounces for winery/farm brewery/instructional facility, 0.5 ounce for distillery), 'product,' 'in bond,' 'hard cider,' and 'mead.'
Graduated fee structures established for limited brewery licenses ($1,250-$7,500 based on barrel volume), farm brewery licenses ($100-$300), plenary winery additional retail distribution privileges ($100-$1,000), and restricted brewery licenses ($1,250 base plus $250 per additional 1,000 barrels).
