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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>59612</law_id><section_number>4.1-405</section_number><catch_line>Sale of winery</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>4.1-401</reference><reference>4.1-404</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="4.1">Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Control</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Alcoholic Beverage Control Act</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Wine Franchise Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Except for discontinuance of a <span class="dictionary">brand</span> or for good cause as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Cancellation" href="/4.1-406/">4.1-406</a>, the purchaser of a winery shall become obligated to all of the terms and conditions of the selling winery&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">agreements</span> with wholesalers in effect on the date of purchase. The purchaser of a <span class="dictionary">brand</span> from a winery shall become obligated to all of the terms and conditions of the selling winery&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">agreements</span> with wholesalers concerning that <span class="dictionary">brand</span>. Whenever such a purchase of a <span class="dictionary">brand</span> results in the creation of a dual distributorship, the provisions of subdivisions 1 and 2 of subsection B will determine the distribution rights to such <span class="dictionary">brand</span> or any extension thereof. For the limited purpose of making such determination, the winery selling the <span class="dictionary">brand</span> shall be a <span class="dictionary">nonsurviving winery</span> and the purchaser shall be a <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span>. <a id="paragraph-218348" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-405/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> For purposes of this section, when a purchase of a winery by or on behalf of another winery causes the selling winery to cease to exist as an independent legal entity, the selling winery shall be regarded as a <span class="dictionary">nonsurviving winery</span>, and the winery on whose behalf the purchase was made shall be regarded as a <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span>. In any case in which such a purchase of a winery by or on behalf of another winery has created or will create a dual distributorship, the following rules shall apply in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to determine the allocation of any <span class="dictionary">brands</span> which are first marketed in the Commonwealth by the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span> after February 18, 1989: <a id="paragraph-218349" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-405/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span> distributes in the Commonwealth <span class="dictionary">brands</span> of the <span class="dictionary">nonsurviving winery</span> which that winery marketed anywhere prior to the purchase, these <span class="dictionary">brands</span> shall be distributed through any wholesalers who were distributors in the Commonwealth for the <span class="dictionary">nonsurviving winery</span>. If the <span class="dictionary">nonsurviving winery</span> had no distributors in the Commonwealth, then the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">brands</span>, as well as the <span class="dictionary">brands</span> of the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span> which were marketed anywhere prior to the purchase, shall be distributed through those <span class="dictionary">wine wholesalers</span> who were wholesalers of the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span> prior to the purchase. <a id="paragraph-218350" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-405/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span> decides to market in the Commonwealth a new brand which was not marketed anywhere prior to the purchase, but which is clearly an <span class="dictionary">extension of a brand</span> which did exist prior to the purchase, the new brand shall be distributed through those wholesalers who distributed the brand of which the new brand is an extension. <a id="paragraph-218351" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-405/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">surviving winery</span> decides to introduce in the Commonwealth a new brand which was not marketed anywhere prior to the purchase and which is not a <span class="dictionary">brand extension</span>, the new brand may be distributed through any distributor. <a id="paragraph-218352" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-405/#B3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 4-118.26; 1985, c. 542, &#xA7; 4-118.46; 1989, c. 10; 1993, c. 866.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
