Maryland Loves Wine

I hope everyone enjoyed the special Valentine’s Day holiday with your loved ones yesterday.  Were you able to bring a favorite bottle of wine to your chosen restaurant last night?  If you live in Maryland, then the answer to that question is no.  Under current Maryland law, people are unable to bring wine to a licensed bar or restaurant if it was purchased elsewhere.  This law is commonly known as corkage. 

The first proposed legislation is the Consuming Wine Not Bought on Premises- Restaurants, Clubs, and Hotels bill which seeks the opportunity for customers to consume wine in licensed establishments purchased outside.  The bill also enables restaurants, clubs, and hotels to charge the customer a small fee—including sales tax—for consuming products purchased elsewhere.

The second bill entitled the Income Tax- Tax Credit for Wineries and Vineyards requires the Department of Agriculture to administer a tax credit against state income tax for qualified expenditures at certain wineries and vineyards.  This tax credit will give Maryland wineries the opportunity to become an even more competitive force in the industry. 

The third bill dropped seeks to add a member to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Maryland Wine and Grape Growing from the Maryland Office of Tourism Development.  This additional member is vital in the development and enhancement of Maryland tourism. 

I believe that these bills together will strengthen Maryland's wine industry, making it competitive with Virginia and Pennsylvania.Q