Sampling is the way of a farmers market; it gives vendors the ability to showcase their products.

And now, much like trying the Metropolitan Market’s freshly stretched mozzarella, wineries, too, will be able to give out small samples at the Sammamish Farmers Market.

In a unanimous vote of approval June 6, the Sammamish City Council allowed samples of wine to be served in a blocked off area during the market this year. Council will review the program before next year’s market.

“I’m very excited about it,” Sammamish Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Deb Sogge said. “I think it just makes common sense.”

Sogge said the market will showcase no more than two wineries at a time, though they have approval for three.

“We don’t want to overdo it,” Sogge said. “We just want to start small and see how it goes.”

Sogge said it is likely that two local wineries, Fivash Cellars and Sol Stone Winery, will be the first to appear at the market.

Samples will be no more than 2-ounce pours.

The sampling area must be enclosed with a 42 inch high barrier, like a rope or stanchions.

Each person gets one tasting per winery.

In order to serve beer or wine samples, the market must have an endorsement from the state. Breweries and wineries must also have their own endorsements from the state to allow tastings.

As of 2013, state law had allowed beer and wine samples at farmers markets. The Issaquah Farmers Market, for example, currently allows wine tastings.

In late 2013, the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce requested permission from the city of Sammamish to offer alcoholic samples at the market.

The Parks Commission reviewed the proposal and recommended against allowing tastings, citing concerns associated with youth drinking rates. The request was denied.

“Originally there was a great deal of sensitivity that went on related to the problem of alcohol in youth in the community,” City Manager Lyman Howard said June 6. “They just didn’t want to bring it out front and center.”

This year, in early May, the chamber applied to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board for an endorsement to allow wine tastings at the market. The state board, per state law, contacted the city to provide concerns or objections to allowing the tastings. The city had until June 13 to respond.

“The Chamber of Commerce has been very responsible in this,” Howard said. “They did let us know that they were intending to do that.”

While the council cannot set conditions to the endorsement — it could simply OK it or disapprove it — it could and did consider conditions it has with the chamber’s contract to use city property for the market.

One consideration was bringing in an off-duty officer to monitor the tastings, a move that would cost the chamber $500 each market the officer was needed.

The council did not think this was necessary, especially given the market takes place right next to the police station.

The one condition it did set was making this a one-year trial to see how it goes. Council will re-evaluate allowing wine tastings next year.

The farmers market runs every Wednesday through September 20 from 4-8 p.m. in the Sammamish Commons at Sammamish City Hall, 801 228th SE.





