Here is an interesting story from the Seattle Times today on the potential of beer and wine tastings be allowed on a trial basis at select farmers markets.

Following in the steps of grocery stores, farmers markets may soon be allowed to offer wine and beer samples to customers.

Proposed by state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, Senate Bill 5029 would authorize a pilot program for limited wine and beer tasting at farmers markets.

Kohl-Welles, who chairs the Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, proposed the program in the previous legislative session, but it failed to reach a vote on the Senate floor.

“We have a longer amount of time to get … bills through and I believe it would be very helpful to our farmers markets, which I strongly support and are growing across the state of Washington,” she said. “…And I think particularly for our small wineries and small craft breweries, they have a harder time marketing to the public. … This gives our potential customers the opportunity to taste the product.”

In its current form, the bill directs the liquor control board choose 10 farmers markets for the pilot project, which would run from July 2011 to September 2012. Only one winery or microbrewery could offer samples at a market per day, customers would have to stay in a designated tasting location, and food would be available to customers as they drink their samples of two ounces or less.

Visit the Seattle Times to read the full story.