A. Manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, whether or not licensed in the Commonwealth, and wine or beer wholesalers may conduct tastings of wine, beer, or spirits within hotels, restaurants, casinos, and clubs licensed for on-premises consumption provided:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 4.1-201.1

  • Alcoholic beverages: includes alcohol, spirits, wine, and beer, and any one or more of such varieties containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume, including mixed alcoholic beverages, and every liquid or solid, powder or crystal, patented or not, containing alcohol, spirits, wine, or beer and capable of being consumed by a human being. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
  • Beer: means any alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of an infusion or decoction of barley, malt, and hops or of any similar products in drinkable water and containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
  • Licensed: means the holding of a valid license granted by the Authority. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
  • Licensee: means any person to whom a license has been granted by the Authority. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
  • sell: includes soliciting or receiving an order for; keeping, offering or exposing for sale; peddling, exchanging or bartering; or delivering otherwise than gratuitously, by any means, alcoholic beverages. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
  • Spirits: means any beverage that contains alcohol obtained by distillation mixed with drinkable water and other substances, in solution, and includes, among other things, brandy, rum, whiskey, and gin, or any one or more of the last four named ingredients, but shall not include any such liquors completely denatured in accordance with formulas approved by the United States government. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
  • Wine: includes any wine to which wine spirits have been added, as provided in the Internal Revenue Code, to make products commonly known as "fortified wine" which do not exceed an alcohol content of 21 percent by volume. See Virginia Code 4.1-100

1. The tastings are conducted only by (i) employees of such manufacturers or wholesalers or (ii) authorized representatives of such manufacturers or wholesalers, which authorized representatives have obtained a permit in accordance with subdivision A 14 of § 4.1-212;

2. Such employees or authorized representatives are present while the tastings are being conducted;

3. No category of alcoholic beverage products is offered to consumers unless the retail licensee on whose premises the tasting is conducted is licensed to sell that category of alcoholic beverage product;

4. All alcoholic beverage products used in the tasting are served to the consumer by employees of the retail licensee;

5. The quantity of wine, beer, or spirits provided to any person during the tasting does not exceed 16 ounces of beer, six ounces of wine, or one and one-half ounces of spirits; however, for any spirits tastings, no single sample shall exceed one-half ounce of spirits, unless served as a mixed beverage, in which case a single sample of spirits may contain up to one and one-half ounces of spirits; and

6. All alcoholic beverage products used in the tasting are purchased from the retail licensee on whose premises the tasting is conducted; except that no more than $100 may be expended by or on behalf of any such manufacturer or wholesaler at any retail licensed premises during any 24-hour period. For the purposes of this subdivision, the $100 limitation shall be exclusive of taxes and gratuities, which gratuities may not exceed 20 percent of the cost of the alcoholic beverages, including taxes, for the alcoholic beverages purchased for the tasting.

B. Manufacturers, wholesalers, and their authorized representatives shall keep complete records of each tasting authorized by this section for a period of not less than two years, which records shall include the date and place of each tasting conducted and the dollar amount expended by the manufacturer, wholesaler, or his agent or representative in the purchase of the alcoholic beverages used in the tasting.

C. Manufacturers and wholesalers shall be held liable for any violation of this section committed by their employees or authorized representative in connection with their employment or representation at any tasting event.

2006, c. 826; 2007, cc. 452, 722; 2020, cc. 1113, 1114; 2022, cc. 589, 590.

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