SB556 Summary: Alabama Small Winery Business Viability Act

• Authorizes licensed Alabama small wineries (producing less than 75,000 gallons annually) to sell up to 24,000 gallons per calendar year directly to retailers at wholesale, subject to first offering products to Alabama wholesalers for 45 days.

• Allows small wineries to sell, deliver, or ship wine in bulk or bottles to other small wineries, and to acquire in-bond winemaking materials from out-of-state producers up to 20 percent of annual production.

• Permits small wineries to operate tasting rooms (one required, up to five additional throughout the state) where wine may be sold for on-premises and off-premises consumption, with wine tasting events authorized on Sundays from 12:30 P.M. to midnight in counties/municipalities where wine sales are lawful.

• Establishes annual license fees of $500 for small winery wholesale licenses and $50 for bulk wine shipment licenses; imposes excise tax of $0.45 per liter on wine sold or dispensed in tasting rooms.

• Takes effect on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.