Napa, CA (January 6, 2026) – Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty (DP&F) is pleased to announce that attorney Tracy Genesen, former Vice President and General Counsel for Wine Institute, has joined the firm’s Alcohol Beverage Law and Compliance (ABLC) practice group. Tracy is internationally recognized for her legal work in the alcohol beverage industry. At DP&F she will continue providing incisive, strategic counsel to help business owners and operators successfully navigate the challenges inherent to highly regulated industries, including those for wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs). “We are thrilled to have Tracy join our team and further expand our deep bench of attorneys with expertise in the alcohol beverage space,” said DP&F managing partner John Trinidad. “She has been at the forefront on the key legal and policy issues – both domestic and international – that alcohol beverage businesses face: advertising a

POSTED BY  Theresa Barton Cray As we near the close of a challenging year for the alcohol beverage industry, suppliers are understandably looking for creative marketing campaigns to boost sales. Unfortunately, given the highly regulated world of alcohol beverage marketing, creative marketing ideas can sometimes hit the proverbial brick wall of regulatory restrictions. All is not lost, however, and there is still room for creativity provided suppliers work within the parameters of alcohol beverage regulations. To start, below are some common pitfalls that suppliers should avoid when marketing their alcoholic beverages in California and elsewhere. Retailer Partnerships Suppliers should closely examine any new marketing programs that involve or mention licensed alcohol beverage retailers. Partnerships with, or sponsorships of, retailers are in most cases going to run afoul of the tied-house laws in California, and in most other states, which prohibit suppliers from giving (directly

DP&F Partner Bahaneh Hobel, who leads the firm’s Alcohol Beverage Law & Compliance group, is a featured panelist for the San Diego County Bar Association’s 10th Annual Beer, Wine, and Spirits Law MCLE occurring on September 4th, 2025, in San Diego. FROM THE EVENT ORGANIZERS: The 10th Annual Beer, Wine, and Spirits Law MCLE is a premier legal education event dedicated to the evolving landscape of alcohol beverage law. This conference brings together industry leaders, attorneys, regulators, and business professionals to discuss key legal and regulatory issues affecting breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Attendees will gain valuable insights into licensing, compliance, distribution, intellectual property, and emerging trends in the industry. Designed for both seasoned practitioners and newcomers, the event offers expert panels, networking opportunities, and CLE credits to keep legal professionals at the forefront of alcohol beverage law. Networking mixer will be

A recent $5.5 million settlement payment from one of the country’s largest alcoholic beverage wholesalers serves as a good reminder that California law restricts the amount of late fees and interest that can be charged in connection with the purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages to retailers. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25509 provides that various alcoholic beverage manufacturers and wholesalers who sell and deliver alcoholic beverages to a retailer and who did not receive payment for such alcoholic beverages within 42 days of delivery shall charge the retailer 1% of the unpaid balance on the 43rd day and an additional 1% for each 30 days thereafter. In 2014, a Los Angeles-based retailer, Wiseman Park, LLC (“Wiseman”), brought an action against Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, LLC (“Southern”) in connection with Southern’s attempt to collect not only the Section 25509 statutory late payment penalty, but also a 1% per month “ca

COMPLIANCE WITH BOTTLE BILL JUST ONE MONTH AWAY FOR WINE AND SPIRITS On January 1, 2024, California’s container recycling deposit system (referred to often as the “Bottle Bill”) will expand to include wine, spirits, and wine and spirits coolers (regardless of ABV).  Below is a brief overview of what wineries, distilleries, importers and wholesalers of wine and spirits need to do to comply! Register with CalRecycle as a Beverage Manufacturer and/or Distributor Register with CalRecycle as soon as possible to prepare for monthly payment and reporting requirements beginning January 1, 2024. California-Based: California wineries and distilleries, and importers of wine or spirits into California, will need to register as a “beverage manufacturer.” They will also need to register as a “distributor” if they sell to retailers (whether on-sale or off-sale), restaurants, bars, or directly to consumers. Out-of-State: Out-of-state wineries and distille

WineDirect WebinarJuly 12, 2023 10 AM (PST) DP&F Partner, Bahaneh Hobel, will speak on the latest updates in Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) regulations. With a specific focus on key developments like the California Bottle Bill, Colorado Delivery Fee, Alaska's new licensing requirements, and the California Privacy Rights Act (CRPA), this event is a must-attend for wineries and professionals in the DTC space. Please click this link to register.

Join us for a quick, informative webinar on July 12th at 10am as industry experts, Jeff Carroll, WineDirect's VP Partnerships and Compliance, and Bahaneh Hobel, Head of Alcohol Beverage Law and Compliance at Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty, shed light on the latest updates in Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) regulations. With a specific focus on key developments like the California Bottle Bill, Colorado Delivery Fee, Alaska's new licensing requirements, and the California Privacy Rights Act (CRPA), this event is a must-attend for wineries and professionals in the DTC space. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and gain valuable knowledge from leading experts in the field. Register now to secure your spot and ensure you are well-prepared to adapt to the recent changes in DTC regulations.

With the passage of  Senate Bill No. 1013, beginning on January 1, 2024, wine and spirits will be included in California’s state container deposit system established by the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act (known as the “Bottle Bill”).  As such, wineries and distilleries will now be required to comply with the Bottle Bill’s CA Redemption Value (CRV) payment and reporting obligations beginning January 1, 2024, and CRV labeling requirements for all wine and spirits sold after July 1, 2025.  Beer and certain other non-alcoholic beverages were already previously covered by the Bottle Bill. Importantly, because all wines and spirits sold in California after July 1, 2025 must be labeled with some type of approved CRV statement, producers should start including this information on their bottles and/or labels as soon as possible. Below we have included a brief summary of the rules applicable to wines and spirits under

At the Digest of Wine & Spirits Law, we are constantly keeping our eyes on developing issues so we can better serve the beverage alcohol industry. Last week we spotted a well-written piece by Liza B. Zimmerman titled, “Wine Promotion Rules a Minefield.” The article quotes several experts on the pitfalls of marketing in the beverage alcohol industry and one expert, Bahaneh Hobel, is quoted saying, “neither the federal government nor the California ABC provide any sort of official guidelines or handbooks to supplier-side licensees regarding trade practices.” Hobel added that, unless “a winery has an attorney or someone familiar with compliance advising them, … they are unlikely to know all of the requirements and restrictions applicable to winery marketing and advertising." However, there is a resource to help suppliers avoid the problems: The Digest of Wine & Spirits Law contains trade practice and advertising requirements in each state

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced today end dates for the temporary relief measures announced in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Depending on the specific regulatory relief in question, the relief granted by ABC, and the expanded privileges granted to many licensees during Covid, will come to an end on either June 30 or December 31, 2021. To assist licensees during the difficulties that arose from shut downs and restricted operations during Covid, the ABC issued various Notices of Regulatory Relief, advising the industry that certain practices would essentially be temporarily permitted  With the end of Covid somewhat in sight here in California, the ABC has now provided the end dates for these measures. The following Notices of Regulatory relief will be rescinded and no longer effective as of the close of business on June 30, 2021. Returns of Alcoholic Beverages Retail-to-Retail Transactions Extension of Credit Drive-Thru Windo