HOUSE BILL 489
52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015
INTRODUCED BY
Dona G. Irwin
AN ACT
RELATING TO LIQUOR CONTROL; REVISING THE LIQUOR CONTROL ACT TO PROVIDE THAT WINEGROWERS MAY MAKE SALES OF WINE VIA INTERNET WEB SITES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 60-6A-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1981, Chapter 39, Section 28, as amended) is amended to read:
"60-6A-11. WINEGROWER'S LICENSE.--
A. Exempt from the procurement of any other license pursuant to the terms of the Liquor Control Act, but not from the procurement of a winegrower's license, is a person in this state who produces wine. Except during periods of shortage or reduced availability, at least fifty percent of a winegrower's overall annual production of wine shall be produced from grapes or other agricultural products grown in this state pursuant to rules adopted by the director; provided, however, that, for purposes of determining annual production and compliance with the fifty percent New Mexico grown provision of this subsection, the calculation of a winegrower's overall annual production of wine shall not include the winegrower's production of wine for out-of-state wine producer license holders.
B. A person issued a winegrower's license pursuant to this section may do any of the following:
(1) manufacture or produce wine, including blending, mixing, flavoring, coloring, bottling and labeling, whether the wine is manufactured or produced for a winegrower or an out-of-state wine producer holding a permit issued by the federal alcohol tax unit of the internal revenue service and a valid license in a state that authorizes the wine producer to manufacture, produce, store or sell wine;
(2) store, transport, import or export wines;
(3) sell wines to a holder of a New Mexico winegrower's, wine wholesaler's, wholesaler's or wine exporter's license or to a winegrower's agent;
(4) transport not more than two hundred cases of wine in a calendar year to another location within New Mexico by common carrier;
(5) deal in warehouse receipts for wine;
(6) sell wines in other states or foreign jurisdictions to the holders of a license issued under the authority of that state or foreign jurisdiction authorizing the purchase of wine;
(7) buy wine or distilled wine products from other persons, including licensees and permittees under the Liquor Control Act, for use in blending, mixing or bottling of wines;
(8) conduct wine tastings and sell, by the glass or by the bottle or sell in unbroken packages for consumption off the premises but not for resale, wine of the winegrower's own production or wine produced by another New Mexico winegrower on the winegrower's premises;
(9) at no more than three off-premises locations, conduct wine tastings, sell by the glass and sell in unbroken packages for consumption off premises, but not for resale, wine of the winegrower's own production or wine produced by another New Mexico winegrower after the director has determined that the off-premises locations meet the requirements of the Liquor Control Act and the department rules for new liquor license locations;
(10) be deemed a manufacturer for purposes of the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act; [and]
(11) at public celebrations on or off the winegrower's premises, after the winegrower has paid the applicable fees and been issued the appropriate permit, to conduct wine tastings, sell by the glass or the bottle or sell in unbroken packages, for consumption off premises but not for resale, wine produced by or for the winegrower; and
(12) in accordance with the provisions of this section that relate to the sale of wine, accept and fulfill an order for wine that is placed via an internet web site, whether the financial transaction related to the order is administered by the licensee or the licensee's agent.
C. Sales of wine as provided for in this section shall be permitted between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and midnight Monday through Saturday, and the holder of a winegrower's license or public celebration permit may conduct wine tastings and sell, by the glass or bottle or in unbroken packages for consumption off premises but not for resale, wine of the winegrower's own production on the winegrower's premises between the hours of 12:00 noon and midnight on Sunday.
D. At public celebrations off the winegrower's premises in any local option district permitting the sale of alcoholic beverages, the holder of a winegrower's license shall pay ten dollars ($10.00) to the alcohol and gaming division of the regulation and licensing department for a "winegrower's public celebration permit" to be issued under rules adopted by the director. Upon request, the alcohol and gaming division of the regulation and licensing department may issue to a holder of a winegrower's license a public celebration permit for a location at the public celebration that is to be shared with other winegrowers and small brewers. As used in this subsection, "public celebration" includes any state or county fair, community fiesta, cultural or artistic event, sporting competition of a seasonal nature or activities held on an intermittent basis.
E. Every application for the issuance or annual renewal of a winegrower's license shall be on a form prescribed by the director and accompanied by a license fee to be computed as follows on the basis of total annual wine produced or blended:
(1) less than five thousand gallons per year, twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per year;
(2) between five thousand and one hundred thousand gallons per year, one hundred dollars ($100) per year; and
(3) over one hundred thousand gallons per year, two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per year."
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2015.
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