Virginia Law

A. In addition to complying with the requirements of § 4.1-206.1 of the Code of Virginia, pertaining to wine and beer importer licenses, holders of wine and beer importer licenses must comply with § 4.1-218 in order to exercise the privileges of such licenses. The board shall approve such forms as are necessary to facilitate compliance with § 4.1-218. Any document executed by, or on behalf of, brand owners for the purpose of designating wine or beer importer licensees as the authorized representative of such brand owner must be signed by a person authorized by the brand owner to do so. If such person is not an employee of the brand owner, then such document must be accompanied by a written power of attorney which provides that the person executing the document on behalf of the brand owner is the attorney-in-fact of the brand owner and has full power and authority from the brand owner to execute the required statements on its behalf. The board may approve a limited power of attorney form in order to effectuate the aforesaid provision.

B. When filing the list required by § 4.1-218 of the Code of Virginia of all wholesale licensees authorized by a wine or beer importer to distribute brands of wine or beer in the Commonwealth, wine and beer importer licensees shall comply with the provisions of the Wine and Beer Franchise Acts pertaining to designations of primary areas of responsibility in the case of wholesale wine licensees and designation of sales territories in the case of wholesale beer licensees.

C. In the event that, subsequent to the filing of the brand owner's authorization for a licensed importer to import any brand of wine or beer, the importer makes arrangements to sell and deliver or ship additional brands of wine or beer into this Commonwealth, the privileges of its license shall not extend to such additional brands until the licensee complies with the requirements of § 4.1-218 of the Code of Virginia and this section in relation to each such additional brand. Likewise, if the brand owner who has previously authorized a licensed importer to import one or more of its brands of wine or beer into this Commonwealth should, subsequent thereto, withdraw from the importer its authority to import such brand, it shall be incumbent upon such importer to make a supplemental filing of its brand owner authorizing documents indicating the deletion of any such brands of wine or beer.

D. The foregoing provisions of this regulation shall not impair contracts in existence or entered into prior to July 1, 1991, between the licensed importer and its supplier or brand owner.