SB 113-72: Atlasia Wine Official Clarification Act (Passed)

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

I propose an amendment.

Atlasia Wine Official Classification Act

Section I. Title.

This bill shall be referred to as the “Atlasia Wine Official Classification Act of 2023”.


Section II. Definitions

A. An “Atlasian wine” shall be any wine made with at least 85100% grapes grown in Atlasia.

Section III. Establishment

A. Reds

I. A competition shall be held every 9 years with any winery being allowed to submit any of their Atlasian wine which shall fit the selected category produced within the previous eight years for judging. There is no limit to how many wines a winery may submit, but they must pay $3,000 for their first submission and $1,000 for any additional wine they submit. Each submission must include at least two cases of wines - the equivalent of twenty-four 750 ml bottles or 15 litres total.

II. The available wine categories for the competition are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Primitivo, Syrah and Shiraz, Barbera and Sangiovese, and Red Blends.

III. Each varietal of wine shall be judged by a grand panel of 10 wine experts, 5 celebrities, 5 politicians, and 5 ordinary citizens, selected at random from a pool of applicants. Each judge shall rank each wine on a scale of 0-1000.

IV. The five wines within each category with the highest sum scores shall be permitted to use the “Superior Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next nine years’ vintages. The next ten highest scoring wines within each category shall be permitted to use the “First Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next nine years’ vintages, and with “Second Growth” on the next twenty highest-scoring wines, and so on with “Third” and “Fourth Growths”, each doubling in size of the category. If there are fewer than 200 submissions in any category, then the highest number of categories that can be entirely filled by the submissions shall be the final one.  

B. Whites and Roses

I. A competition shall be held every 6 years with any winery being allowed to submit any of their Atlasian wine which shall fit the selected category produced within the previous five years for judging. There is no limit to how many wines a winery may submit, but they must pay $2,500 for their first submission and $1,000 for any additional wine they submit. Each submission must include at least two cases of wines - the equivalent of twenty-four 750 ml bottles or 15 litres total.

II. The available wine categories for the competition are: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Muscat and Moscato, Rosés, and White Blends.

III. Each varietal of wine shall be judged by a grand panel of 10 wine experts, 5 celebrities, 5 politicians, and 5 ordinary citizens, selected at random from a pool of applicants. Each judge shall rank each wine on a scale of 0-1000.

IV. The five wines within each category with the highest sum scores shall be permitted to use the “Superior Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages. The next ten highest scoring wines within each category shall be permitted to use the “First Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages, and with “Second Growth” on the next twenty highest-scoring wines, and so on with “Third” and “Fourth Growths”, each doubling in size of the category. If there are fewer than 200 submissions in any category, then the highest number of categories that can be entirely filled by the submissions shall be the final one.  

C. Champagnes and Sparkling Wines

I. A competition shall be held every 6 years with any winery being allowed to submit any of their Atlasian wine which shall fit the selected category produced within the previous five years for judging. There is no limit to how many wines a winery may submit, but they must pay $5,000 for their first submission and $1,500 for any additional wine they submit. Each submission must include at least two cases of wines - the equivalent of twenty-four 750 ml bottles or 15 litres total.

II. The available wine categories for the competition are: Blanc de blancs, Blanc de noirs, Cuveés, Prosecco, and Sweet Sparkling Wines.  

III. Each varietal of wine shall be judged by a grand panel of 10 wine experts, 5 celebrities, 5 politicians, and 5 ordinary citizens, selected at random from a pool of applicants. Each judge shall rank each wine on a scale of 0-1000.

IV. The five wines within each category with the highest sum scores shall be permitted to use the “Superior Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages. The next ten highest scoring wines within each category shall be permitted to use the “First Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages, and so on with “Second Growth” on the next twenty highest-scoring wines.


Section IV. Funding and Logistics

A. Competitions shall be hosted by cities across Atlasia, with applications by cities to be submitted to and selected by the Department of Internal Affairs. The cities shall be expected to provide a space for hosting and housing, with funds received from competition applicants to be directed to the host city’s event budget.

B. Usage of the scoring “Growth” terms shall be enforced by the Department of Justice, with a $100,000 fine for an illegal use of the label as well as an additional $100 per bottle sold without having met the competitive qualification for use of the label.


Section V. Implementation

The first competition shall be held jointly for all three types of wines in 2024.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

We should make this an omnibus bill on alcohol in my opinion.

We should have a contest for bourbon. I would also ask we have a provision allowing for Texas Whiskey, which is a growing enterprise and highly profitable for the South, to also have special protections.

Similarly proposing this for Pacific North West whiskey as well, who produce single malt whiskies as well.

We might as well open it up to everyone and everything to ensure it is a good bill.

Yeah, we can make this bill much more all encompassing of all the different boozes.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Aye