No wine at farmers market this weekend due to need for City bylaw amendment

There won’t be local wine at Kamloops Farmer’s Market for another six to eight weeks because it requires a City bylaw amendment.

Annelise Grube-Cavers, manager of the Saturday market, said on Friday that other markets around the province may be faced with similar hurdles.

As part of liquor law reforms, the provincial government recently announced that locally produced beer, wine and cider could be sold at B.C. farmers markets. Victoria left it up to the market associations to decide which vintners, brewers or distillers are accepted. But the sale of liquor in a public place must still comply with local bylaws.

Harper’s Trail, one of three emerging wineries in the area, had hoped to sell its wines at the market starting this weekend.