St. Mary's liquor board splits over licensing bills regarding wineries here

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009

St. Mary's liquor board gave its backing in a split decision last week to a pair of legislative proposals to create a special license for winery operations, including a co-op project progressing in Leonardtown.

A St. Mary's amendment filed by state Sen. Roy Dyson (D-St. Mary's, Calvert, Charles) and a statewide proposal drafted by the Maryland Wineries Association received support Thursday from county alcohol beverage board Vice Chairman Thomas Sacks and board member Adam Morgan. Board member Betty Currie seconded Morgan's motions to support the two proposals, but she voted against both.

Kevin Atticks, the association's executive director, testified that 11 counties now back the latest version of its bill to give wineries their own class of alcohol permits, after an initial version "missed the intent" of letting wineries give away free samples or charge money for them. The association supports requiring winery permit holders to live two years in the county where they do business, Atticks said, and it also backs letting the winery operators each have an off-premise location to use their license for wine tastings.

Leonardtown Administrator Laschelle Miller said the legislative proposals address an issue where they are "absolutely needed for clarity," and co-op President Richard Fuller said a winery license would provide consistency, benefiting regional tourism. Co-op board member Mary Wood of Mechanicsville and Michael Scarborough, who operates a vineyard in Calvert County, also spoke in favor of the proposals.

David Dent, representing the county's retail beverage association, countered that the organization opposes some of the language in the winery legislation because it could lead to free samples being offered at breweries and distilleries.

The bills also would allow the wineries to sell food, Dent said, which would make them similar to a restaurant. He said if the wineries are a tourism project, they should offer the samples at the winery.

"We think that the existing law covers everything that a winery would need," Dent said.

Sacks said the board has received abundant information on the matter in the last two months.

"It's an issue, and we're trying to deal with it," Currie said before she seconded Morgan's motions and voted against them. She explained this week, "If I didn't second it, it wouldn't come to a vote," and she declined to discuss her objection to the proposals.

In a separate matter, board members issued $200 fines against Buffalo Wings and Beer in Leonardtown and Discount Liquors in Lexington Park on admissions that an employee at each business sold beer last December to a police informant whose license states that she will not turn 21 until the last month of next year.

Sheriff's Cpl. Emory Johnson, the county's alcohol enforcement coordinator, reported that the most recent investigation entering 27 businesses yielded no violations.

jwharton@somdnews.com