2015 West Virginia Code
CHAPTER 60. STATE CONTROL OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS
ARTICLE 8. SALE OF WINES.
§60-8-2. Definitions.

Unless the context in which used clearly requires a different meaning, as used in this article:

"Commissioner" or "commission" means the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner.

"Distributor" means any person whose principal place of business is within the State of West Virginia who makes purchases from a supplier to sell or distribute wine to retailers, grocery stores, private wine bed and breakfasts, private wine restaurants, private wine spas, private clubs or wine specialty shops and that sells or distributes nonfortified dessert wine, port, sherry and Madeira wines to wine specialty shops, private wine restaurants, private clubs or retailers under authority of this article and maintains a warehouse in this state for the distribution of wine. For the purpose of a distributor only, the term "person" means and includes an individual, firm, trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association or corporation. Any trust licensed as a distributor or any trust that is an owner of a distributor licensee, and the trustee or other persons in active control of the activities of the trust relating to the distributor license, is liable for acts of the trust or its beneficiaries relating to the distributor license that are unlawful acts or violations of this article, notwithstanding the liability of trustees in article ten, chapter forty-four-d of this code.

"Fortified wine" means any wine to which brandy or other alcohol has been added and shall include dessert wines which are not fortified having an alcohol content by volume of at least fourteen and one-tenths percent and not exceeding sixteen percent.

"Grocery store" means any retail establishment, commonly known as a grocery store, supermarket, delicatessen, caterer or party supply store, where food, food products and supplies for the table are sold for consumption off the premises with average monthly sales (exclusive of sales of wine) of not less than $500 and an average monthly inventory (exclusive of inventory of wine) of not less than $3,000. The term "grocery store" shall also include and mean a separate and segregated portion of any other retail store which is dedicated solely to the sale of food, food products and supplies for the table for consumption off the premises with average monthly sales with respect to such separate or segregated portion (exclusive of sales of wine) of not less than $3,000 and an average monthly inventory (exclusive of inventory of wine) of not less than $3,000.

"Licensee" means the holder of a license granted under the provisions of this article.

"Person" means and includes an individual, firm, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association or corporation.

"Private wine bed and breakfast" means any business with the sole purpose of providing, in a residential or country setting, a hotel, motel, inn or other such establishment properly zoned as to its municipality or local ordinances, lodging and meals to its customers in the course of their stay at the establishment, which business also: (1) Is a partnership, limited partnership, corporation, unincorporated association or other business entity which as part of its general business purpose provides meals on its premises to its members and their guests; (2) is licensed under the provisions of this article as to all of its premises or as to a separate segregated portion of its premises to serve wine to its members and their guests when such sale accompanies the serving of food or meals; and (3) admits only duly elected and approved dues-paying members and their guests while in the company of a member and does not admit the general public.

"Private wine restaurant" means a restaurant which: (1) Is a partnership, limited partnership, corporation, unincorporated association or other business entity which has as its principal purpose the business of serving meals on its premises to its members and their guests; (2) is licensed under the provisions of this article as to all of its premises or as to a separate segregated portion of its premises to serve wine to its members and their guests when such sale accompanies the serving of food or meals; (3) admits only duly elected and approved dues-paying members and their guests while in the company of a member and does not admit the general public. Such private clubs that meet the private wine restaurant requirements numbered (1), (2) and (3) in this definition shall be considered private wine restaurants.

"Private wine spa" means any business with the sole purpose of providing commercial facilities devoted especially to health, fitness, weight loss, beauty, therapeutic services and relaxation, and may be also a licensed massage parlor or a salon with licensed beauticians or stylists, which business also: (1) Is a partnership, limited partnership, corporation, unincorporated association or other business entity which as part of its general business purpose provides meals on its premises to its members and their guests; (2) is licensed under the provisions of this article as to all of its premises or as to a separate segregated portion of its premises to serve up to two glasses of wine to its members and their guests when such sale accompanies the serving of food or meals; and (3) admits only duly elected and approved dues-paying members and their guests while in the company of a member, and does not admit the general public.

"Retailer" means any person licensed to sell wine at retail to the public at his or her established place of business for off-premises consumption and who is licensed to do so under authority of this article.

"Supplier" means any manufacturer, producer, processor, winery, farm winery, national distributor or other supplier of wine who sells or offers to sell or solicits or negotiates the sale of wine to any licensed West Virginia distributor.

"Tax" includes within its meaning interest, additions to tax and penalties.

"Taxpayer" means any person liable for any tax, interest, additions to tax or penalty under the provisions of this article and any person claiming a refund of tax.

"Varietal wine" means any wine labeled according to the grape variety from which such wine is made.

"Vintage wine" or "vintage-dated wine" means wines from which the grapes used to produce such wine are harvested during a particular year or wines produced from the grapes of a particular harvest in a particular region of production.

"Wine" means any alcoholic beverage obtained by the natural fermentation of the natural content of grapes, other fruits or honey or other agricultural products containing sugar and to which no alcohol has been added and shall include table wine, and shall exclude fortified wine and shall also exclude any product defined as or embraced within the definition of nonintoxicating beer under the provisions of article sixteen, chapter eleven of this code.

"Wine specialty shop" means a retailer who shall deal principally in the sale of table wine, nonfortified dessert wines, wine accessories and food or foodstuffs normally associated with wine and: (1) Who shall maintain a representative number of such wines for sale in his or her inventory which are designated by label as varietal wine, vintage, generic and/or according to region of production and the inventory shall contain not less than fifteen percent vintage or vintage-dated wine by actual bottle count; and (2) who, any other provisions of this code to the contrary notwithstanding, may maintain an inventory of port, sherry and Madeira wines having an alcoholic content of not more than twenty-two percent alcohol by volume and which have been matured in wooden barrels or casks.