HB418 Summary

• Establishes the Alabama Small Winery Business Viability Act to facilitate operations of small wineries producing less than 100,000 gallons annually.

• Allows small wineries to self-distribute up to 24,000 gallons per year directly to retailers and to produce wine for other small wineries.

• Authorizes small wineries to operate tasting rooms, conduct wine tastings at licensed local events, and sell wine on Sundays from 12:30 P.M. to midnight where wine sales are lawful.

• Permits small wineries to import up to 30 percent of their annual production from out-of-state manufacturers in bulk form.

• Establishes license fees ranging from $50 to $500 and implements a wine excise tax of $0.45 per liter on wine sold at retail or $0.38 per liter on wine dispensed as samples.