W. Va. Code § 60-4-3B — WV Code / Chapter 60 / Article 4 / Section 3B
§60-4-3b. Winery and farm winery license to manufacture and sell.
Status: in_force

(a) An operator of a winery or farm winery may offer wine produced by the winery, farm winery, or a farm entity authorized by §60-1-5c of this code, for retail sale to customers from the winery or farm winery for consumption on-premises or off-premises. Customers may consume wine on-premises by the glass or drink or by the bottle when consumed by the glass when an operator of a winery or farm winery offers samples pursuant to this section and §60-6-1 of this code, and when the winery or farm winery is licensed as a private wine restaurant, or the winery or farm winery is licensed as a private manufacturer club. Customers may not consume any wine on the licensed premises of the winery, farm winery, or a farm entity authorized by §60-1-5c of this code, unless the winery, farm winery, or farm entity has obtained a multi-capacity winery or farm winery license: Provided , That under this subsection, a licensed winery or farm winery may offer samples of wine manufactured by that licensed winery or farm winery for consumption on-premises during the hours of operation set forth in §60-8-34 of this code. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a licensed winery or farm winery may sell, serve, and furnish wine, for on-premises consumption when licensed accordingly during the hours of operation set forth in §60-8-34 of this code unless otherwise determined by the residents of the county pursuant to §7-1-3ss of this code.

(b) Restriction by a political subdivision upon activities and events of farm wineries licensed in accordance with §60-4-3b of the code, to market and sell their products shall be reasonable and shall take into account the economic impact on the farm winery of such restriction, the agricultural nature of such activities and events, and whether such activities and events are usual and customary for farm wineries throughout the state of West Virginia and adjacent states. Usual and customary activities and events at farm wineries shall be permitted without local regulation unless there is a substantial impact on the health, safety, or welfare of the public. No local ordinance regulating noise, other than outdoor amplified music, arising from activities and events at farm wineries shall be more restrictive than that in the general noise ordinance. In authorizing outdoor amplified music at a farm winery, the political subdivision shall consider the effect on adjacent property owners and nearby residents.

(c) A political subdivision may not regulate any of the following activities of a farm winery licensed and operating in accordance with this section:

(1) The production and harvesting of fruit and other agricultural products and the manufacturing of wine;

(2) The on-premises sale, tasting, or consumption of wine during business hours set forth in §60-8-34 of this code;

(3) The direct sale and shipment of wine by common carrier to consumers in accordance with the requirements of §60-8-6 and §60-8-6a of this code and the rules of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner;

(4) The storage, warehousing, and wholesaling of wine in accordance with the rules of the West Virginia and federal law or regulations; or

(5) The sale of wine-related items, including, but not limited, to the sale of pre-packaged food not requiring kitchen preparation, that are incidental to the sale of wine and on-premises consumption.

(6) To serve and sell wine by the glass or drink and by the bottle when consumed by the glass for consumption on- premises consumption, without the requirement to serve prepared food with the wine or application of any local health department limitations for food service in the area in which the wine is served.

(d) No political subdivision may treat private personal gatherings held by the owner of a licensed farm winery who resides at the farm winery or on property adjacent thereto that is owned or controlled by such owner at which gatherings wine is not sold or marketed and for which no consideration is received by the farm winery or its agents differently from private personal gatherings by other citizens.

(e) Samples allowed by the provisions of this section may not exceed three fluid ounces and no more than six samples may be given to a patron in any one day.

(f) Samples may be provided only for on-premises consumption.

(g) A winery, farm winery, or farm entity, pursuant to §60-1-5c of this code, may offer for retail sale from its licensed premises sealed original container bottles of wine for off-premises consumption.

(h) A winery, farm winery, or farm entity licensed pursuant to §60-1-5c of this code, holding a multi-capacity license and a private wine restaurant license or private manufacturer club license may offer for sale wine by the drink or glass or wine by the bottle when consumed by the glass on the property of the winery, farm winery, or farm entity licensed pursuant to §60-1-5c of this code.

(i) Every licensed winery or farm winery shall comply with the provisions of §60-3-1 et seq ., §60-4-1 et seq ., and §60-8-1 et seq . of this code as applicable to wine retailers, wineries, and suppliers when properly licensed in such capacities.

(j) (1) The winery or farm winery shall pay all taxes and fees required of licensed wine retailers and meet applicable licensing provisions as required by this chapter and by rules promulgated by the commissioner.

(2) Each winery or farm winery acting as its own supplier shall submit to the Tax Commissioner the liter tax for all sales at the winery or farm winery each month, as provided in §60-8-1 et seq . of this code.

(3) The five percent wine excise tax, levied pursuant to §60-3-9d of this code, or pursuant to §8-13-7 of this code, may not be imposed or collected on purchases of wine in the original sealed package for the purpose of resale in the original sealed package, if the final purchase of the wine is subject to the excise tax or if the purchase is delivered outside this state.

(4) A liter tax shall not be collected on wine sold in the original sealed package for the purpose of resale in the original sealed package if a subsequent sale of the wine is subject to the liter tax.

(5) This section shall not be interpreted to authorize a purchase for resale exemption in contravention of §11-15-9a of this code.

(k) A winery or farm winery may advertise a particular brand or brands of wine produced by it. The price of the wine is subject to federal requirements or restrictions.

(l) A winery or farm winery shall maintain separate winery or farm winery supplier, retailer, and direct shipper licenses when acting in one or more of those capacities and shall pay all associated license fees, unless the winery or farm winery holds a license issued pursuant to the provisions of §60-8-3(b)(12) of this code. A winery or farm winery, if holding the appropriate licenses or a multi-capacity winery or farm winery license, may act as its own supplier; retailer for off-premises consumption of its wine as specified in §60-6-2 of this code; private wine restaurant; or direct shipper for wine produced by the winery or farm winery. A winery or farm winery that has applied, paid all fees, and met all requirements may obtain a private manufacturer club license subject to the requirements of §60-7-1 et seq . of this code, and a Class A retail dealer license subject to the requirements of §11-16-1 et seq . of this code. All wineries shall use a distributor to distribute and sell their wine in the state, except for farm wineries. Wineries or farm wineries may enter into alternating wine proprietorship agreements, pursuant to §60-1-5c of this code.

(m) The owners of a licensed winery or farm winery may operate a distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery, brewery, or as a resident brewer, as otherwise specified in the code.

(n) For purposes of this section, terms have the same meaning as provided in §8-13-7 of this code.

(o) Building code and tax classification. — Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the mere addition of a winery or farm winery licensed under this article on a property does not change the nature or use of the property which otherwise qualifies as agricultural use for building code and property tax classification purposes.

(p) In the interest of promoting tourism throughout the state, every licensed winery or farm winery manufacturing wine in this state is authorized, with a limited off-site retail privilege at private fairs and festivals, for on-premises consumption sales and off-premises consumption sales of only the winery or farm winery's wine. At least five days prior to an approved private fair and festival, an authorized winery or farm winery shall provide a copy of a written agreement to sell only wine manufactured by the licensed winery or farm winery at the private fair and festival's licensed premises. If approved, an authorized licensed winery or farm winery may conduct on-premises and off-premises consumption sales of its wine from a designated booth at the private fair and festival as set forth in §60-7-8a of this code. All authorized and approved wineries and farm wineries' on-premises and off-premises consumption sales shall comply with all retail requirements in §60-8-1 et seq . of this code, and specifically with respect to all markups, taxes, and fees. Additionally, an authorized winery, farm winery, or unlicensed winery, as referenced in §60-8-3 of this code may provide, sell, and serve wine samples of its wine in the amounts set forth in subsection (b) of this section, wine by the glass or drink, or wine by the bottle, when consumed by the glass, for on-premises consumption to patrons who are 21 years of age and older and who are not intoxicated.

(q) Farm Wineries. – A farm winery is permitted to serve and sell wine as authorized by this section without the requirement to serve prepared food or the application of any local health department requirements for food service. Prior to the sale, the licensee shall verify, using proper identification, that any patron purchasing wine is 21 years of age or over and that the patron is not visibly intoxicated.

(r) All Farm Wineries may serve and sell wine at any fair or festival in the state of West Virginia consistent with the requirements of §60-8-3 and §60-8-8 of this code.