Editorial

The Napa Valley Register
Sunday, July 29, 2007

Extra school supplies, free meals, transportation for seniors and dental care for the uninsured were not mentioned in legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday, but people who receive those goods and services were the winners when the governor signed a law that did mention wine.

At the request of "virtual" winemakers -- that is, the many vintners who do not own or operate their own production facilities -- Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, sponsored legislation to alter the law on who gets to pour wines at charitable events. The direct beneficiaries of the law are some 1,400 "virtual" vintners, who can now pour their wines -- and therefore make inroads with customers -- at charitable events without risking fines or other a suspension of operations for violating the terms of their business permits.

The indirect beneficiaries are the nonprofit organizations, including dozens in Napa County, that rely on the donations of local wineries to make their fundraising events successful. The wine-oriented fundraising circuit here is never-ending, and the benefits of the new law will accrue to all concerned.

For nonprofits, the attraction of a fun event with wines and other amenities draws out more, and more generous, donors. Donors who can blend a good time with doing good in the community are more inclined to give to a charitable cause. For the vintners, giving away wine to the many charities that request it is often less painful than giving away money, plus they get a great opportunity to get their name and their product out there.

Why do we even need a law to do this? Because alcohol regulations are Byzantine, for one thing.

For another, the prohibition on so-called "virtual" wineries -- those with Type 17 or Type 20 licenses issued by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control -- was based on legitimate concerns from larger producers that do have their own manufacturing plants -- and Type 02 licenses allowing them to pour at consumer events.

In putting together the bill, Evans negotiated the different concerns of large wineries that have invested tens of millions of dollars into their production facilities, small operators who own no production line and lease space from custom crush operations, charitable organizations that see wine availability as a key to their success and the myriad trade groups, from the Napa Valley Vintners to the statewide Wine Institute, whose memberships have different angles on the legislation.

Not a simple task, but Evans has done it. This law will benefit charities and give a marketing assist to entrepreneurial, small wineries that are an increasingly important part of the market, and whose leaders live and work among us and see the benefit of helping their neighbors.

We toast this positive legislation.