AB 720: Beverages: alcohol permits: container labeling.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of alcoholic beverage licenses. Existing law authorizes licensed winegrowers and brandy manufacturers to exercise their license privileges away from their licensed premises at, or from, branch offices or warehouses or United States bonded wine cellars located away from the place of production or manufacture, subject to specified exceptions. One of the exceptions to this authorization is production or manufacture.

This bill would specify that the exception of production or manufacture does not include mere storage of wine or topping of wine barrels, as specified.

Existing law generally prohibits any person or licensee from having alcoholic beverages at a licensed premises other than those beverages that the license authorizes for sale, except as specified. Existing law authorizes the holder of any combination of a beer manufacturer’s license, winegrower’s license, craft distilled spirits manufacturer’s license, or a brandy manufacturer’s license for a single premises to have alcoholic beverages authorized under those licenses at the same time anywhere within the premises, as specified, if certain conditions are met, including that the manufacturer’s licenses for the single premises are either all master licenses or all branch offices, and not a combination of a master license and a branch office.

This bill would, notwithstanding the above-described provision, authorize the holder of a winegrower’s license and a brandy manufacturer’s license for the same premises, where one license is a master license and the other is a branch license, to store, age, conduct brandy tastings, and engage in sales for off-premises consumption.

Existing law authorizes the issuance of a caterer’s permit, upon application to the department, to a licensee under an on-sale general license, an on-sale beer and wine license, a club license, or a veterans’ club license, that authorizes the holder of the permit to sell alcoholic beverages at specified locations and events. Existing law requires the permitholder to obtain consent from the department for each event in the form of a catering authorization and imposes a fee for the authorization based on the estimated attendance at each day of the event. Existing law imposes various limitations on the permits, including prohibiting a catering authorization from being issued for use at any one premises for more than 36 events in one calendar year, except as specified.

This bill would similarly authorize a licensed winegrower to apply for, and the department to issue, an estate tasting event permit that would authorize the winegrower to exercise its tasting room privileges for wine manufactured by or for the winegrower at specified locations and all of the same privileges allowed under their license for the duration of the event, subject to local land use authority, as specified. The bill would require a permitholder to obtain consent from the department for each event in the form of an estate tasting event authorization and would impose a fee of $100 for each estate tasting event. The bill would prohibit an estate tasting event authorization from being issued for more than 36 events per licensee per calendar year. The bill would impose an annual fee for an estate tasting event permit of $200 and would authorize the permit to be transferable as part of the winegrower’s license.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. October 10, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 562, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 10, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 24, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. September 13, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3454.).
5. September 13, 2025Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
6. September 12, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
7. September 11, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2889.).
8. September 9, 2025From committee: That the measure be returned to Senate Floor for consideration. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (September 9)
9. September 8, 2025(Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 2570.)
10. September 8, 2025Re-referred to Com. on E.Q. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).
11. September 8, 2025Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).
12. September 8, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.