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Alcoholic Beverage Control and Virginia

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Original content: VinePair By Jennifer Simonson Chile runs along South America’s western edge from the dry desert in the north to a field of glaciers in the south. Rugged mountains, fertile valleys, never-ending coastline, rumbling volcanoes and scorched sand dunes all clash to provide this long, thin country with a captivating landscape. For winemakers, that landscape is more than captivating, it is a grape grower’s paradise. The low cost of land, rare interference from vine pests and diseases, dependable dry, warm summers, and nearby mountains providing a regular supply of...
Original content: Forbes By Cathy Huyghe Contributor If you’re a wine lover, and if you’re heads-up about current events and world news, then the New Year hasn’t been very celebratory so far. The bad news seems overwhelming and far-reaching, between devastating fires in Australia to bureaucrat types in Washington and Europe debating tariffs and deciding the fate of so many wine businesses we love. It seems overwhelming, partly because it feels so out of our control. I’d argue that, despite the large-scale ramifications of current events, there are things that...
Original content: Forbes By Jill Barth Members of the Wine Origins Alliance yesterday submitted a jointly signed letter for the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) public comment period on tariffs in response to aircraft subsidies and France’s Digital Services Tax. The United States on December 2, 2019 threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on $2.4 billion in French goods in retaliation for a digital services tax it says is discriminatory. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) This action was followed by a second letter sent to...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association Get your staff up to speed on safe alcohol service. Holiday celebrations can bring in a lot of business for restaurants and bars. According to market research firm Technomic, alcohol sales during the fourth quarter of the year can account for up to 30% of alcohol sales overall (retail and restaurant). As operations get busy, staff members need to stay focused on serving alcohol responsibly, says Jay Lerdal, program manager for the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Alcohol training program. During holiday...
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's announcement this week that the state would make up some of its budget deficit by increasing the markup on distilled spirits already has those in the hospitality industry gearing up for paying more — and thus charging more — for drinks. McAuliffe didn't outline how exactly the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would raise an additional $2.5 million from the liquor markup, but ABC is considering three options, according to a letter sent to stakeholders Wednesday and provided to the Washington Business Journal. Though...
Pub crawls, the wildly popular events that encourage people to travel from bar to bar for drink specials, will not be banned in Arlington County’s retail corridors as a result of a vote by the County Board to scrutinize them more carefully. But those who sponsor the events soon will have to start picking up the tab for police and cleanup crews, which some bar owners and promoters say could kill the crawls nonetheless. County Board members, while loath to discourage the free-spending young adult demographic, voted unanimously Saturday to make organizers of pub crawls pay costs...
  RAMW is pleased to announce that the state’s pending happy hour legislation has been signed and will be published on December 30, 2013. The new law, which will allow restaurants and bars to advertise happy hours through print, digital and social media, will be effective January 29th, 2014.   To be clear, the law does not allow for the advertisement of specific happy hour beverages and beverage prices (outside the restaurant or bar). However, once the law goes into effect in late January, establishments will be able to advertise “Happy Hour” or “Drink...
What would you do if someone who had been drinking excessively picked up their car keys and headed for the door? If you are a good bystander, you would intervene to help the person get home safely without risking injury to self or others. Cities and states, colleges and branches of the military are using that same bystander approach to prevent sexual assault: teaching professionals and friends how to offer assistance and intervene to prevent alcohol-facilitated sexual assault. In Arlington County, police are seeing an increase in reports of alcohol-facilitated sexual assaults of young...
Rebecca Cooper, Washington Business Journal The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has stepped up enforcement of a law that limits wine tastings and wine dinners at restaurants that serve wine on site, surprising many restaurateurs who have been offering them for years. The law prohibits wine wholesalers and distributors from participating in tasting events held in restaurants. Winemakers or winery representatives are allowed to participate in these types of events, and the law does not prevent wholesalers from offering tastings at shops that do not serve on premises. Read...
RAMW met with its Virginia members and state officials and legislators on October 10th at Clyde's of Tysons to discuss the myriad issues facing Northern Virginia restaurants. The meeting was very productive and provided an opportunity to dive into debates around restaurant operations, workforce development and taxes. Alcohol and ABC issues took center stage with operators citing challenges with the alcohol transfer process of wine and beer between locations. They also discussed at length, problems with the ABC permitting process.   As a result of this...
Corkage Law Passes In Virginia House78-18…With A Nudge From RAMWFebruary 22, 2011- With the passage in the Virginia House ofDelegates, SB1292, aka The Corkage Bill, will now go to the Governor’s officefor final signature. There is every indication that the Governor will sign thisBill.Corkage, which is common in many jurisdictions across the country including theDistrict of Columbia, will allow restaurants the choice of offering corkageservice to their patrons. This optional service will allow patrons to bringwine into an ABC licensed establishment for consumption on the premises...
Virginia's Sangria Ban At Issue in 2 Hearings By Anita Kumar Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, January 24, 2008; B01 RICHMOND, Jan. 23 -- A Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agent conducting a routine inspection in 2006 cited La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria for violating an obscure 75-year-old state law: It's illegal to serve sangria in Virginia. The fruity cocktail of wine and brandy that is a must-have at Spanish restaurants violates a law that forbids mixing wine or beer with spirits. If convicted, a bartender could go to jail for a year...