Bill
S 513
S 513 lets NJ farm wineries request a fast waiver to use non-NJ fruit/grapes in their first five years, with conditions to increase NJ content soon and cap production, decision in
Purpose
- Authorizes the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to grant a waiver to farm winery licensees from the current requirement that fermented wines and fruit juices produced during the first five years must be made with at least 51% New Jersey-grown grapes or fruit.
- A waiver would allow initial production with outside-Grown fruit/grapes, subject to conditions, timelines, and a possible application fee.
What the bill does (key provisions)
- Amends R.S.33:1-10 and adds a new section to provide a waiver process for farm winery licenses.
- Waiver authority (new section 2a–2d):
- The farm winery licensee may apply to the ABC Director for a waiver from the 51% New Jersey-grown requirement during the first five years of operation.
- Conditions for grant:
1) The licensee must agree to begin manufacturing fermented wines and fruit juices with at least the minimum percentage of New Jersey-grown grapes/fruits as soon as practicable.
2) The licensee must not exceed the production volume of its highest year when using non-New Jersey-grown grapes/fruits.
- The Director may charge a reasonable application fee.
- The Director must decide on whether to grant the waiver within 15 days of receiving the application.
- Effective date:
- The act takes effect on the first day of the third month after enactment, with potential for anticipatory administrative action to implement provisions.
Context of the bill
- The waiver applies specifically to farm winery licenses, which are intended for manufacturing fermented wines and fruit juices on farms where the operation is tied to at least three acres of grapevines or fruit adjacent to the winery premises.
- Current law (prior to this bill) requires that during the first five years, farms use at least 51% state-grown grapes/fruit for fermentation.
Who is affected
- Farm winery licensees in New Jersey seeking to operate with non-New Jersey fruit/grapes during the initial five-year period.
- The ABC Director and administrative staff responsible for evaluating waiver requests and implementing the process.
- Potential impact on production sourcing decisions and labeling (as the law already requires state-sourced production for NJ Wine labeling after the initial five years).
Procedural and timeline aspects
- Application process: Farm winery licensees may apply for a waiver; the bill specifies a fee mechanism if the Director chooses to charge.
- Decision timeline: The Director must render a waiver determination within 15 days of receiving the application.
- Implementation: The bill allows for anticipatory actions by the Director before the act takes full effect.
Notes on scope and density
- The waiver is narrowly targeted to the “first five years” window for farm wineries and does not alter the long-term requirement that, after the initial period, wine must meet state-sourced content standards for labeling purposes.
- The bill references New Jersey wine and related beverage categories broadly, but the waiver itself focuses on sourcing content during early production.
Sponsors
- Primary sponsor: (Introduced in Senate)
- Co-sponsors: Doug Steinhardt, Jim Beach
Overall takeaway
- S 513 adds a flexible, expedited waiver option for farm wineries to source non-New Jersey fruit/grapes during their first five years, provided they commit to increasing New Jersey content as soon as practicable and do not exceed their historical production levels with non-NJ fruit. The Director’s decision is to be made within 15 days of application, and a reasonable fee may be charged to apply.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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