While it is up to individual wineries on how they deal with reduced federal excise taxes, industry leaders expect those savings to be reinvested in their operations. Changes in the federal excise tax on wineries went into effect on Jan. 1, following strong...
OLYMPIA, Wash. - A bill awaits Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature to increase the number of allowable off-site tasting rooms per winery from two to four under a domestic winery license in Washington state. The House in the state Legislature approved minor changes by the...
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Washington state's proposed winery wastewater permit system is expected to be applied to only 19 percent of the state’s wineries. That figure comes from Tuesday’s release of the Washington Department of Ecology’s draft permit documents. The state...
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Many questions are being tackled as the Washington state Department of Ecology puts together a permit system for discharging wastewater from wineries. Preliminary answers will likely be unveiled in mid-April when the state is expected to release a...
OLYMPIA, Wash. — It appears that Washington wineries are on their way to being able to operate as many as four tasting rooms. However, prospects look grim for a proposed tax break for small wineries. Overall, nine legislative subjects were introduced this session...
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill is in motion to make small Washington wineries exempt from paying the Evergreen State’s wine tax. Senate Bill 5427 by Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, went to a public hearing Thursday in front of the Washington Senate’s Agriculture, Water,...
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill is going through the Washington state Senate to allow more movie theaters to serve wine and other alcoholic beverages. Bill 5161 by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, would remove several restrictions on theaters being allowed to serve wine, beer...
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state’s wine industry painted a rosy economic picture to the Washington State Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports Committee last week. “You’re telling me that that wine is gonna be bigger than wheat?” asked committee chairman Sen. Michael...
OLYMPIA, Wash. — There’s no opposition so far in Olympia after a state Legislature hearing to expand the number of allowable off-site wine tasting rooms in Washington state. The same could not be said about a bill to allow liquor licensees to sell growlers of wine....
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part report on the influence of climate change and how it might affect the Washington wine industry. There are an estimated 80 acres of vineyards in the Puget Sound region, but researchers believe changes in the climate...
