TONY ORMAN
A law change that will help streamline the process required for wineries to sell samples at the cellar door was recently drawn from the Member’s Bill Ballot. MP for Kaikoura and National’s Viticulture spokesperson Stuart Smith says it’s good news.
“The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill will plug an important gap in the old legislation so that winery cellar doors can now charge visitors for wine samples without having to secure a separate on-license and all the costs associated with that. While this may be a small change, it will make a big difference to New Zealand’s wineries,” he said.
This Bill has been drawn at an opportune time as wineries have faced significant costs and reduced production as a result of the pandemic. The regulatory change will ensure that they can provide cellar door services without the unnecessary extra red-tape.
New Zealand’s $2.5 billion wine industry has grown remarkably over the past 20 years, particularly the cellar door tourism experiences. Now wine samples are a staple at cellar doors, but the old legislation hasn’t been updated to accommodate this.
“By tiding up the legislation and allowing wineries to charge for samples without obtaining an on-licence, it will encourage more cellar doors to open for the enjoyment of tourists and those wanting to taste New Zealand wines –a big boost for our small wineries in particular,” says Stuart Smith.
