Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-16a – Off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead tasting permit.

(a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall issue an off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead tasting permit to a holder of a manufacturer permit for a farm winery or to a holder of a manufacturer permit for wine, cider and mead upon the holder's submission of proof to the commissioner that the holder is in compliance with the requirements of subsection (c) or (d) of section 30-16. An off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead tasting permit shall authorize the sale and offering of free samples of products manufactured by such permittees during a total of not more than seven events or functions per year at locations outside the permit holder's permit premises, provided such holder:
1. (1) Notifies the Department of Consumer Protection, on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, not less than five business days prior to the date of the event or function, of the date, hours and location of each event or function, (2) sells only wine, cider and mead by the bottle at the event or function, and (3) is present, or has an authorized representative present, at the time of the sale of any such bottles or the offering of a free sample of such products from the permit holder at the event or function. An off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead tasting permit shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance. The annual fee for such permit shall be two hundred fifty dollars. There shall be a one-hundred-dollar nonrefundable filing fee for any such permit.
(b) Any town or municipality may, by ordinance or zoning regulation, prohibit the sale or offering of free samples by the holder of an off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead tasting permit at an event or function held in such town or municipality.

(P.A. 14-189, S. 1; P.A. 19-24, S. 10; P.A. 23-50, S. 11.)

History: P.A. 14-189 effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 19-24 added references to cider and mead and references to manufacturer permit for wine, cider and mead, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2020; P.A. 23-50 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting references to Secs. 30-35, 30-37b and 30-37h, effective July 1, 2023.