§ 2-103. Wine festival permit.

   (a) Permit authorized. -- There is a wine festival permit.

(b) Applicants; authority conferred. --

   (1) An applicant for a wine festival permit shall be a nonprofit organization, as defined by § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

   (2) The Office of the Comptroller may issue the permit to a nonprofit organization that meets the requirements of this section.

   (3) A permit authorizes the permit holder to conduct a wine festival for at least 1 day and not more than 3 consecutive days.

(c) Powers and duties of permit holder. --

   (1) The permit holder may purchase wine at wholesale to:

      (i) Provide to a consumer a sample that may not exceed 1 fluid ounce for each brand; and

      (ii) Sell to a consumer wine for on- and off-premises consumption.

   (2) The permit holder shall provide space at a wine festival for holders of winery off-site permits.

   (3) A holder of a winery off-site permit that attends a wine festival may provide wine to a consumer in the same manner as the holder of the wine festival permit.

   (4) The permit holder may provide or sell at the wine festival only alcoholic beverages provided by the permit holder or a holder of a winery off-site permit that is in attendance.

(d) Agents certified by approved alcohol awareness program. -- At all times during the wine festival, the permit holder shall have present at least two agents, one of whom may be the permit holder, who are certified by an approved alcohol awareness program.

(e) Application; fee. -- An applicant for a wine festival permit shall:

   (1) No less than 30 days before the proposed event, submit to the Office of the Comptroller a completed application on a form that the Office of the Comptroller provides that:

      (i) States that the primary purpose of the wine festival is to promote Maryland wine;

      (ii) Provides details of the wine festival, including the location, dates, and times of operation; and

      (iii) Includes appropriate evidence that the owner of the property in which the wine festival may be held has given permission to the applicant to have the wine festival on its premises; and

   (2) Pay a fee of $ 100 for the wine festival permit.

(f) List of attending permit holders. -- No less than 15 days before the wine festival, the permit holder shall provide the Office of the Comptroller with a list of winery off-site permit holders that will attend.

HISTORY: 2013, ch. 396.