Assembly Bill 2004, authored by Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, passed the state legislature with unanimous support.
"Food and wine are a natural pairing," Evans said in a prepared statement. "It's just plain silly that California law doesn't allow picnickers to enjoy a glass of wine with their lunches in winery picnic grounds."
The bill was authorized by the Wine Institute, a trade association of over 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses.
It allows winery patrons to consume wine on winery premises, and will be added to existing winery license privileges to give wineries the choice to pursue it as an option in their business plan.
The bill also provides that cities and counties may restrict but not eliminate winery license privileges in a manner consistent with local land use authority.
