TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Fire Marshal Jason Downs
REPORT BY: Deputy County Counsel Shana A. Bagley
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution responding to the State mandate creating Type 93 Estate Tasting Event permits under AB720
RECOMMENDATION
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Adopt a Resolution to responding to the State mandate creating Type 93 Estate Tasting Event permits under AB720. (No Fiscal Impact.)
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BACKGROUND
Effective January 1, 2026, under Assembly Bill 720 (Rogers, D-Santa Rosa), the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will offer an estate tasting event permit (known as a "Type 93 permit") that may be issued to a licensed winegrower. The permit will grant the winegrower the ability to exercise its tasting room privileges, for wine manufactured by or for the winegrower, on either property adjacent to their licensed premises that is owned by or under control of the licensee, or a nonadjacent vineyard that is owned by or under control of the licensee. The purpose of the permit is to enable winegrowers to host special events in areas adjacent to their winery that are currently unlicensed or in their vineyard that is not licensed for alcohol sales and consumption. Legislative history indicates that the permit was modeled after the Beer Manufacturer's Caterer permit (Type 91).
Pursuant to the newly enacted Business and Profession Code sections 23320 and 23399.03, in order to exercise the privileges of the permit, the winegrower must apply to ABC for an event authorization, and a permit holder is capped at receiving no more than 36 event authorizations per calendar year. Upon receiving the event authorization from ABC, the permit holder will be able to exercise its tasting room privileges in the approved area. Tasting room privileges that may be exercised include both on-sale and off-sale of the winegrower's wine. As with other related ABC permits, Section 23399.03. subdivision (g), requires approval of the permit from local law enforcement, including the f...
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