Some new rules are on the way for Gainesville businesses that offer wine samplings, thanks to an update to the city's alcoholic beverage ordinance presented Thursday morning to city council members.
"It was basically just to clarify the means for wine sampling, both for growler stores and for retail establishments that sell by the package," said Debbie Jones, city marshall.
Wine samplings can not exceed eight ounces in total per person, per day, with the updated code, and individual samples cannot exceed two ounces. Businesses are also allowed to charge a fee for their samplings.
The new ordinance serves as a way to "clean up" an older ordinance — intended for growler fill-up stations — that allowed for buyers to sample up to 24 ounces of alcohol, which included wine.
That's nearly five glasses of wine, said Jones, who added that a local business brought the problem to her attention.
"They had people that wanted to take advantage of the full 24 ounces, and then not buy anything," said Jones.
Jones opted not to name the business that brought it to her attention.
Councilman George Wangemann, who voted against the city's first alcoholic beverage code overwrite in 57 years a year ago, had a different tune this time.
"(It's) a reduction. I can vote for that," said Wangemann at Thursday morning's council work session.
Council will vote on the matter as part of their consent agenda at their next voting meeting on Tuesday, February 16.
