Three local wineries cited for selling
alcohol to a minor
Three
valley wineries were issued citations for selling alcohol to minors following a
Dec. 29 Sheriff’s department decoy operation.
The
Sheriff’s department sent a minor to 13 different wineries to buy alcohol. The
cited wineries include Artiste in Santa Ynez, Black Jack Winery in Solvang and
Casa Cassara in Buellton.
“Our
department received over $100,000 in grant money from the ABC, and part of the
grant is education, inspections and also following up with decoy operations,”
said Sandra Brown, senior deputy for Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
“We
will be having other decoy operations throughout the county through July.”
Cited clerks will have to pay a minimum fine of $250, and the wineries could
face administrative actions by Alcohol Beverage Control.
Actions
by the ABC could include additional fines, suspension of alcohol licenses or
permanent license revocation.
The
three wineries either could not be reached or declined comment.
The
decoy operation included Shoestring Vineyard and Winery, Kalyra
Winery, Sunstone, Gainey Winery and Rideau Vinyard.
The
recent operation followed the Dec. 14 citing of three valley establishments
that also were cited for selling alcohol to minors.
The
Sheriff’s department has created a course for wineries to help educate staff
about laws pertaining to tasting rooms.
“One
of the things that we’ve done that’s unique, and the
only one in the State of California, is offer a class to wineries,” Brown said.
“It’s
designed to teach them how to check identification, signs and symptoms of
intoxication and laws that pertain to their licenses.”
To
date, more than 40 wineries have participated in the class.
“[We]
salute the 10 wineries that cooperated and complied with their alcohol
licensing by refusing to sell an alcohol beverage to the minor during this
operation,” said Alex Tipolt, public information
officer for the Sheriff’s department.