Farm Winery

A farm winery license allows the sale and delivery on wine manufactured on licensed premises and allows the licensee to:

• acquire and receive deliveries and shipments of wine
• sell wine at retail for on and off premises consumption
• store wine in bonded warehouses located on or off the licensed premises with approved permits
• sell brands of wine other than their own, acquired through wholesale, for on and off-premises consumption
• operate a contract winemaking facility
• ship wine to licensed wholesalers for resale.

Fee(s)

As of July 1, 2023, there are new classifications, requirements, and fees for Farm Winery Licenses.

Farm Winery: Class I

For Class I farm winery licensees, all of the fruits or agricultural products used by the licensee to manufacture wine shall be grown or produced on the licensed premises. Class I farm winery licensees shall have on the licensed premises a growing area no smaller than one and one-half acres that produces fruits or agricultural products used to manufacture the wine of such farm winery. Class I farm winery licensees shall ferment on the licensed premises no less than 2,250 liters of wine per year, and all of the wine sold by such licensee shall be fermented on the licensed premises. The fee for this license is $275.00 annually.

Farm Winery: Class II

For Class II farm winery licensees, at least 51 percent of the fruits or agricultural products used by the licensee to manufacture wine shall be grown or produced on property in the Commonwealth that is owned or leased by the licensee and no more than 25 percent of the fruits agricultural products used by the licensee to manufacture wine shall be grown or produced outside the Commonwealth. Class II farm winery licensees shall have on the licensed premises a growing area no smaller than three acres that produces fruits or agricultural products used to manufacture the wine of such farm winery. The fee for this license is: $275.00 annually.

Farm Winery: Class III

For Class III farm winery licensees, 75 percent of the fruits or agricultural products used by the licensee to manufacture wine shall be grown or produced in the Commonwealth Class III farm winery licensees ferment on the licensed premises no less than 4,500 liters of wine per year, and no less than 75 percent of the wine sold by such licensee shall be fermented on the licensed premises. The fee for this license is: $500.00 annually.

Farm Winery: Class IV

For Class IV farm winery licensees, 75 percent of the fruits or agricultural products used by the licensee to manufacture wine shall be grown or produced in the Commonwealth. Class IV farm winery licensees shall have on the licensed premises a growing area no smaller than 10 acres that produces fruits or agricultural products used to manufacture the wine of such farm winery. No Class IV farm winery license shall be issued to any person that has not operated under an existing farm winery license for at least seven years. The fee for this license is: $4000.00 annually. *Any person that holds a farm winery license that was applied for prior to July 1, 2023, and granted prior to January 1, 2024, by the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority shall, until July 1, 2028, (i) be exempt from the requirements created by this act in §§ 4.1-219 and 4.1-231.1 of the Code of Virginia and (ii) remain subject to the requirements of §§ 4.1-219 and 4.1-231.1 of the Code of Virginia as those sections were in effect on June 30, 2023.

References

COV 4.1-100—Definition of Farm Winery
COV 4.1-206.1(6)—Manufacturer licenses
COV 4.1-219—Limitations on Class I, II, III, IV
COV 4.1-231.1A(1)(d)—Fees on state licenses
COV 4.1-233.A (1)(d)—Fees on local licenses