A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, persons granted a wine and beer license pursuant to § 4.1-206.3 may display within their licensed premises point-of-sale advertising materials that incorporate the use of any professional athlete or athletic team, provided that such advertising materials (i) otherwise comply with the applicable regulations of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and (ii) do not depict any athlete consuming or about to consume alcohol prior to or while engaged in an athletic activity, do not depict an athlete consuming alcohol while the athlete is operating or about to operate a motor vehicle or other machinery, and do not imply that the alcoholic beverage so advertised enhances athletic prowess.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 4.1-209

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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

B. Persons granted a license to sell wine and beer for off-premises consumption that display such wine and beer outside a clearly discernible location reserved for alcoholic beverages shall (i) not place wine or beer in an area immediately adjacent to nonalcoholic beverages containing the same or similar brand name, logo, or packaging as an alcoholic beverage and (ii) equip any such display with signage that indicates the product is an alcoholic beverage, is clearly visible to consumers, and is of sufficient size to notify the consumer that the product contains alcohol. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the placement of nonalcoholic wine or beer in or near a display of alcoholic beverages that contain the same or similar brand name, logo, or packaging as the nonalcoholic wine or beer.

C. Persons granted retail on-and-off-premises wine and beer licenses pursuant to the following provisions may conduct wine or beer tastings sponsored by the licensee for its customers for on-premises consumption:

1. Subdivision A 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 14 of § 4.1-206.3;

2. Subdivision B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 of § 4.1-206.3;

3. Subdivision C 1 or 2 of § 4.1-206.3;

4. Subdivision D 1 a, b, or d or 2 a of § 4.1-206.3; or

5. Subdivision F 4 or 5 of § 4.1-206.3.

Such licensees may sell or give samples of wine and beer in designated areas at events held by the licensee for the purpose of featuring and educating the consuming public about the alcoholic beverages being tasted. Additionally, with the consent of the licensee, farm wineries, wineries, and breweries may participate in tastings held by licensees authorized to conduct tastings, including the pouring of samples to any person to whom alcoholic beverages may be lawfully sold. No single sample shall exceed four ounces of beer or two ounces of wine, and no more than 12 ounces of beer or five ounces of wine shall be given or sold to any person per day.

Code 1950, § 4-25; 1952, c. 535; 1956, c. 520; 1962, c. 532; 1964, c. 210; 1970, cc. 627, 723; 1972, c. 679; 1973, c. 343; 1974, c. 267; 1975, c. 408; 1976, cc. 134, 447, 496, 703; 1977, c. 439; 1978, c. 190; 1979, c. 258; 1980, cc. 526, 528; 1981, cc. 410, 412; 1982, c. 66; 1984, c. 200; 1987, c. 365; 1988, c. 893; 1989, c. 42; 1990, c. 707; 1991, c. 628; 1992, cc. 215, 350; 1993, cc. 190, 828, 866; 1994, c. 585; 1995, cc. 544, 570; 1996, cc. 443, 604; 1997, c. 489; 2001, c. 361; 2002, c. 204; 2003, cc. 329, 589, 1029, 1030; 2004, c. 487; 2005, cc. 652, 784; 2006, cc. 94, 153, 256, 826, 845; 2007, c. 813; 2008, cc. 179, 186, 192, 875; 2010, cc. 317, 561; 2011, c. 626; 2014, cc. 125, 612; 2015, c. 412; 2016, c. 654; 2017, cc. 76, 151, 152, 153, 154, 745; 2020, cc. 1113, 1114, 1179; 2023, cc. 213, 214.

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