Virginia Code 4.1-206.1: (Effective until July 1, 2024) Manufacturer licenses
The Board may grant the following manufacturer licenses:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 4.1-206.1
- Alcohol: means the product known as ethyl or grain alcohol obtained by distillation of any fermented liquor, rectified either once or more often, whatever the origin, and shall include synthetic ethyl alcohol, but shall not include methyl alcohol and alcohol completely denatured in accordance with formulas approved by the government of the United States. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- 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
- Authority: means the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority created pursuant to this subtitle. 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
- Board: means the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Contract winemaking facility: means the premises of a licensed winery or farm winery that obtains grapes, fruits, and other agricultural products from a person holding a winery or farm winery license and crushes, processes, ferments, bottles, or provides any combination of such services pursuant to an agreement with the winery or farm winery licensee. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- farm: means any person that obtains at least 51 percent of its annual gross income from agricultural operations and produces the agricultural waste used as feedstock for the waste-to-energy technology, (ii) "agricultural waste" means biomass waste materials capable of decomposition that are produced from the raising of plants and animals during agricultural operations, including animal manures, bedding, plant stalks, hulls, and vegetable matter, and (iii) "waste-to-energy technology" means any technology, including but not limited to a methane digester, that converts agricultural waste into gas, steam, or heat that is used to generate electricity on-site. See Virginia Code 1-222.1
- Farm winery: means (i) an establishment or cooperative located in the Commonwealth on land zoned agricultural that has (a) a vineyard, orchard, or similar growing area that produces fruits or other agricultural products used to manufacture the wine of such farm winery, subject to the requirements set forth in § 4. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- Government store: means a store established by the Authority for the sale of alcoholic beverages. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- land zoned agricultural: means (1) land zoned as an agricultural district or classification or (2) land otherwise permitted by a locality for farm winery use. 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
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Residence: means any building or part of a building or structure where a person resides, but does not include any part of a building that is not actually and exclusively used as a private residence, nor any part of a hotel or club other than a private guest room thereof. 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. Distiller’s licenses, which shall authorize the licensee to manufacture alcoholic beverages other than wine and beer, and to sell and deliver or ship the same, in accordance with Board regulations, in closed containers, to the Board and to persons outside the Commonwealth for resale outside the Commonwealth. When the Board has established a government store on the distiller’s licensed premises pursuant to subsection D of § 4.1-119, such license shall also authorize the licensee to make a charge to consumers to participate in an organized tasting event conducted in accordance with subsection G of § 4.1-119 and Board regulations.
2. Limited distiller’s licenses, to distilleries that (i) are located on a farm in the Commonwealth on land zoned agricultural and owned or leased by such distillery or its owner and (ii) use agricultural products that are grown on the farm in the manufacture of their alcoholic beverages. Limited distiller’s licensees shall be treated as distillers for all purposes of this subtitle except as otherwise provided in this subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, “land zoned agricultural” means (a) land zoned as an agricultural district or classification or (b) land otherwise permitted by a locality for limited distillery use. For purposes of this subdivision, “land zoned agricultural” does not include land zoned “residential conservation.” Except for the limitation on land zoned “residential conservation,” nothing in this definition shall otherwise limit or affect local zoning authority.
3. Brewery licenses, which shall authorize the licensee to manufacture beer and to sell and deliver or ship the beer so manufactured, in accordance with Board regulations, in closed containers to (i) persons licensed to sell the beer at wholesale and (ii) persons outside the Commonwealth for resale outside the Commonwealth. Such license shall also authorize the licensee to sell at retail at premises described in the brewery license (a) the brands of beer that the brewery owns for on-premises consumption, provided that not less than 20 percent of the volume of beer sold for on-premises consumption in any calendar year is manufactured on the licensed premises, and (b) beer in closed containers, which shall include growlers and other reusable containers, for off-premises consumption.
4. Limited brewery licenses, to breweries that manufacture no more than 15,000 barrels of beer per calendar year, provided that (i) the brewery is located on a farm in the Commonwealth on land zoned agricultural and owned or leased by such brewery or its owner and (ii) agricultural products, including barley, other grains, hops, or fruit, used by such brewery in the manufacture of its beer are grown on the farm. The licensed premises shall be limited to the portion of the farm on which agricultural products, including barley, other grains, hops, or fruit, used by such brewery in the manufacture of its beer are grown and that is contiguous to the premises of such brewery where the beer is manufactured, exclusive of any residence and the curtilage thereof. However, the Board may, with notice to the local governing body in accordance with the provisions of § 4.1-230, also approve other portions of the farm to be included as part of the licensed premises. For purposes of this subdivision, “land zoned agricultural” means (a) land zoned as an agricultural district or classification or (b) land otherwise permitted by a locality for limited brewery use. For purposes of this subdivision, “land zoned agricultural” does not include land zoned “residential conservation.” Except for the limitation on land zoned “residential conservation,” nothing in this definition shall otherwise limit or affect local zoning authority.
Limited brewery licensees shall be treated as breweries for all purposes of this subtitle except as otherwise provided in this subdivision.
5. Winery licenses, which shall authorize the licensee to (i) manufacture wine and to sell and deliver or ship such wine, in accordance with Board regulations, in closed containers, to persons licensed to sell the wine so manufactured at wholesale for the purpose of resale, and to persons outside the Commonwealth for resale outside the Commonwealth; (ii) operate distilling equipment on the premises of the licensee in the manufacture of spirits from fruit or fruit juices only, which shall be used only for the fortification of wine produced by the licensee; (iii) operate a contract winemaking facility on the premises of the licensee in accordance with Board regulations; (iv) store wine in bonded warehouses on or off the licensed premises upon permit issued by the Board; and (v) sell wine at retail at the place of business designated in the winery license for on-premises consumption or in closed containers for off-premises consumption, provided that any brand of wine not owned by the winery licensee is purchased from a wholesale wine licensee and no less than 20 percent of the wine sold for on-premises consumption is manufactured on the licensed premises.
6. Farm winery licenses, which shall authorize the licensee to (i) manufacture wine containing 21 percent or less of alcohol by volume and to sell, deliver, or ship such wine, in accordance with Board regulations, in closed containers, to the Board, persons licensed to sell the wine so manufactured at wholesale for the purpose of resale, or persons outside the Commonwealth; (ii) acquire and receive deliveries and shipments of wine and sell and deliver or ship such wine, in accordance with Board regulations, to the Board, persons licensed to sell wine at wholesale for the purpose of resale, or persons outside the Commonwealth; (iii) operate a contract winemaking facility on the premises of the licensee in accordance with the provisions of this subtitle and Board regulations; (iv) enter into an agreement with a contract winemaking facility in accordance with the provisions of this subtitle and Board regulations; and (v) store wine in bonded warehouses located on or off the licensed premises upon permits issued by the Board. For the purposes of this subtitle, a farm winery license shall be designated either as a Class I, Class II, Class III, or Class IV farm winery license in accordance with the limitations set forth in § 4.1-219.
Such licenses shall also authorize the licensee to sell wine at retail for on-premises consumption or in closed containers for off-premises consumption at the places of business designated in the licenses, which may include no more than five additional retail establishments of the licensee. The licensee may sell at these places of business wine manufactured by such licensee, wine manufactured by a contract winemaking facility with which the licensee has entered into an agreement pursuant to the provisions of this subtitle and Board regulations, and wine purchased from a wholesale wine licensee. In addition, the licensee may pre-mix wine and sell such wine at these places of business.
7. Wine importer’s licenses, which shall authorize persons located within or outside the Commonwealth to sell and deliver or ship wine, in accordance with Board regulations, in closed containers, to persons in the Commonwealth licensed to sell such wine at wholesale for the purpose of resale, and to persons outside the Commonwealth for resale outside the Commonwealth.
8. Beer importer’s licenses, which shall authorize persons located within or outside the Commonwealth to sell and deliver or ship beer, in accordance with Board regulations, in closed containers, to persons in the Commonwealth licensed to sell such beer at wholesale for the purpose of resale and to persons outside the Commonwealth for resale outside the Commonwealth.
2020, cc. 756, 1008, 1113, 1114; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 281, 282; 2023, c. 731.