Staff reports
LAKEPORT ? Legislation enabling nonprofit Clear Lake Performing Arts (CLPA) and other similar organizations to produce and use alcoholic beverages for fundraisers, was recently signed into law by Governor Edmond D. Brown. The bill takes effect on Jan. 1, 2014
Assembly Bill 1425 was drafted by Assemblymembers Lois Wolk (D- Davis) and Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) to address concerns raised when the California Alcohol Beverage Control agency shuttered such events by charging that ticket sales to charity fundraisers was the equivalent of selling the homemade beverages.
The bill is crafted to allow nonprofits to sell or auction off homemade wines and beers in fundraising events, subject to provisions that they be consumed only on premises and be appropriately labeled to prevent resale.
Since the Lake County event concentrates primarily on judging the products and offering only tastes to the public, it conforms to the new law.
“The Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival is the major source of funding for our Lake County Symphony and Youth Orchestras, as well as other youth music activities” CLPA president, Ed Bublitz, said.
“This year many of our leading commercial wineries came to our aid when we received word of the ABC shutdown and helped to keep us afloat,” he said. “But having the amateurs back will certainly give our event a boost.”
In its 10-year history, the Lake County event had raised many thousands of dollars to support CLPA programs.
Bublitz said they will start immediately to line up home winemakers and brewers from throughout northern California to participate in the 2014 Festival, which will take place on June 21 at Lakeport”s Library Park.
