Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 917 by Sen. John Laird on Thursday, Aug. 27. According to a press release, the bill will expand opportunities for small winemakers to sell wine and offer tastings at certified farmers' markets.
SB 917 will begin to take effect on January 1, 2027.
It was sponsored by the Family Winemakers of California and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. SB 917 modernizes existing law governing Type 79 farmers market wine permits to better reflect today's wine economy and help small producers reach new consumers.
The press release says under previous law, winemakers could only sell wine at farmers markets if wine was produced exclusively from "estate-grown" grapes. That means all grapes had to be grown on-site. The requirement excluded many small and boutique wineries that responsibly source grapes from California growers.
