In General Laws Subcommittee for hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10. The full committee must act by Tuesday, Feb. 15, for the Senate to consider the bill this year. The supervisors voted unanimously to oppose the bill. The proposed amendment apparently would nullify Zoning Administrator Carolyn Bowen's May 1999 ruling on how much wine guests can sample at events hosted by Oasis Winery near Hume. But in doing so limited its use to farm uses for sampling.
State code defines sampling.
Oasis General Manager Tareq Salahi appealed Mrs. Bowen's decision to the board of zoning appeals. The BZA in October upheld her decision. Mr. Salahi argues that the winery possesses an ABC farm winery license over which the county has no authority. Farm winery licenses stipulate no limit on how much wine a vineyard can serve and sell. Oasis' attorney John Foote in November filed an appeal, which prevents county officials from enforcing Mrs. Bowen's decision.