This bill establishes the "New Jersey Wine Promotion Account" within the Department of Agriculture, which will receive dedicated funding to promote New Jersey wines. Specifically, it mandates that the account be credited annually with an amount equal to $0.47 per gallon on all sales of wines sold by licensed plenary and farm winery licensees, as well as the revenue collected from the sales and use tax on retail sales of wine produced in New Jersey. The funds will be utilized by the Secretary of Agriculture for research and development in viticulture and winemaking, as well as for promotional activities, in alignment with the recommendations of the New Jersey Wine Industry Advisory Council. Notably, the bill specifies that the dedication of sales tax revenues will not apply to vendors that primarily serve meals.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions that require alcoholic beverage wholesalers to report sales to retailers and mandates that retail sellers of New Jersey-produced wine provide customers with a detailed sales slip that separately states the retail price and tax collected on the wine sale. This information will be aggregated to determine the annual dedication of tax revenues to the New Jersey Wine Promotion Account. The bill aims to enhance the visibility and support for the state's wine industry while ensuring compliance with tax reporting requirements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 4:10-76, 54:32B-24