Santa Barbara wineries propose assessing fee on tasting room sales
–The Santa Ynez Valley Star reports–
Santa Barbara Vintners took its case for an assessment fee on tasting room wine sales to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, and the county recommended that the association continue its plans for a petition and vote later this year.
It would be a 1.5-percent fee assessed on tasting fees, wines, merchandise and food, but not on wine club shipments and pickups or event tickets. The fee would not be assessed on online, phone or wholesale sales to groceries or restaurants. The plan is to fund a wine industry-specific business improvement district. The goal is to boost efforts to market Santa Barbara County as a wine tourism destination.
Other regions have larger operating budgets – Paso Robles has about $1.5 million and Napa is about $7.2 million. The assessment could increase the group’s annual budget to more than $1.6 million, about three times what it is now.
Read the full story at The Santa Ynez Valley Star
