The Florida Senate

The Legislature declares that viticulture, the production and utilization of grapes, is an underdeveloped agricultural commodity enterprise in this state. The Legislature recognizes that Florida possesses many resources and geographic advantages that favor the expansion and growth of present-day viticulture into a broad-based, economically viable industry. The growth potential of the present industry offers good opportunities for local economic development and supply trade. The development of viticulture is compatible with the economies, lifestyles, and interests of both rural and urban Florida.

Further, the Legislature finds that factors such as minimal new grape cultivar development, lack of printed information on production and processing, minimal understanding of winemaking techniques and requirements that will capitalize on the unique characteristics of available grape cultivars, minimal understanding of grape juice processing requirements, lack of fresh fruit handling and processing technology specifically for muscadine grape cultivars, lack of quality standards for wine and other processed grapes, lack of assistance and printed information for overall business planning and marketing, and lack of coordination of the many diverse interests and expertises which could contribute to the further development of viticulture in the state are inhibitory to the development of viticulture to the potential of which it is reasonably capable, going into the 21st century.

The Legislature further declares that, in order to effectively support the efficient and expeditious development and growth of viticulture into a broad-based, economically sound industry, there is a need for leadership and statewide viticultural planning.

There is created within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services the Viticulture Advisory Council, to consist of eight members as follows: the president of the Florida Grape Growers’ Association or a designee thereof; the viticulture representative of the State Agricultural Advisory Council; a representative from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; a representative from the viticultural science program at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; and four additional commercial members, to be appointed for a 2-year term each by the Commissioner of Agriculture, including a wine producer, a fresh fruit producer, a nonwine product (juice, jelly, pie fillings, etc.) producer, and a viticultural nursery operator.

The meetings, powers and duties, procedures, and recordkeeping of the Viticulture Advisory Council, and per diem and reimbursement of expenses of council members, shall be governed by the provisions of s. 570.0705 relating to advisory committees established within the department.

The primary responsibilities of the Viticulture Advisory Council are to submit to the Commissioner of Agriculture, annually, the industry’s recommendations for viticultural research, promotion, and education and, as necessary, the industry’s recommendations for revisions to the State Viticulture Plan.

The Commissioner of Agriculture, in consultation with the Viticulture Advisory Council, shall develop and coordinate the implementation of the State Viticulture Plan, which shall identify problems and constraints of the viticulture industry, propose possible solutions to those problems, and develop planning mechanisms for the orderly growth of the industry, including:

A revision and update of the State Viticulture Plan shall be submitted biennially to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of appropriate committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and a progress report and budget request shall be submitted annually.

The Florida Farm Winery Program is established within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Under this program, a winery may qualify as a tourist attraction only if it is registered with and certified by the department as a Florida Farm Winery. A winery may not claim to be certified unless it has received written approval from the department.

All fees collected, except as otherwise provided by this section, shall be deposited into the Viticulture Trust Fund and used to develop consumer information on the native characteristics and proper use of wines.

There is established the Viticulture Trust Fund within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The department shall use the moneys deposited in the trust fund pursuant to subsection (2) to do all the following:

Fifty percent of the revenues collected from the excise taxes imposed under s. 564.06 on wine produced by manufacturers in this state from products grown in the state will be deposited in the Viticulture Trust Fund in accordance with that section.