Does the WST promote only Texas wine?
Does the WST use wines donated from Texas wineries in their events?
Do all events have to have educational content or subject matter?
Can members bring their own wines to share at events?
How big does a group have to be to be considered as a chapter?
Do all chapters operate the same way?
What does the WST do with the surplus money over from events or festivals?
How are the membership fees collected and dispersed?
Can I request a statement of a chapter’s income and expenses?
Where does the money in the WST Scholarship Fund come from?
How much money is available in scholarship?
How does the WST determine the amount of scholarship awards and who qualifies for a scholarship?
What types of scholarship activities are included in the scope of the WST Scholarship Fund?
Has the WST merged with the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA)?
Does membership in TWGGA automatically make a person/s members of the WST?

No. WST was founded in the winter of 1994. It was later chartered in 1996 in Arlington, Texas. The founding idea was to develop a Society that would bring together people interested in (1) increasing their enjoyment of wine through education and (2) assisting in the development of an educated consumer base for the Texas wine industry. This was pursued through better knowledge of (a) the elements of fine wines from around the world, (b) pouring and pairing of wines, (c) viticulture and (d) winemaking in a friendly social environment. One common misconception is that the WST and its members only are interest in wine made in Texas. The Society is interested in furthering the appreciation of FINE wine in Texas and furthering a wine culture and responsible consumption of wine in Texas through its educational mission. The WST maintains close ties within the Texas wine industry and tries to further an awareness of wines from Texas in the global marketplace. The close ties with the local industry also make it possible for the WST to bring a stronger educational message about grape growing (viticulture), winemaking and appreciation (oenology) than possible in many other wine organizations that do not have an education basis such as that in WST.

Does the WST use wines donated from Texas wineries in their events? (top)

No and for two major reasons: (1) It does not help our Texas wineries to meet their financial goals if they consistently donate their wine and, most important, (2) It is against the law in Texas as established by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission*. This second reason holds true if there is a charge of any kind for the event. If there is absolutely no charge for the event, the winemaker could legally donate wine but then again, it goes against reason number 1. Free wine does not generate revenue for our wineries.

*From the September 1, 2001 Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code: “Sec. 16.06.  (a)  For the purpose of participating in an organized wine tast­ing, wine evaluation, wine competition, or literary review, the holder of a winery permit may deliver wine produced and manufactured by the holder to locations that are not licensed under this code for the purpose of submitting the wine to an evalua­tion at an organized wine tasting competition attended primarily by unlicensed per­sons or by a wine reviewer whose reviews are published if (1) no charge of any kind is made for the wine, delivery, or attendance at the event; and    (2) the commission consents in writing to the delivery.

Do all events have to have educational content or subject matter? (top)

Yes. The IRS has granted the WST a nonprofit, 501c3 status and an education organizational. According to publication 557 from the IRS, “…an entity qualifies as an educational organization if: 1) The instruction of the public on subjects useful to individuals and beneficial to the community. The WST qualifies as an organization whose activities consist of conducting public discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures, or other similar programs.”

Can members bring their own wines to share at events? (top)

Yes as long as the event is held at a location that is NOT licensed to serve alcoholic beverages and prior approval has been given by the chapter chairman or organizer of the event. Wines should never be taken to a restaurant or hotel according to TABC law.

Sec. 28.06.  POSSESSION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE NOT COVERED BY INVOICE.   
(a) No holder of a mixed beverage permit, nor any officer, agent, or employee of a holder,  may possess or permit to be possessed on the premises for  which  the permit  is  issued any alcoholic beverage which is not covered by  an  invoice from the supplier from whom the alcoholic beverage was purchased. 
(b)  A person who violates Subsection (a) of this section commits  a  mis­demeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by confinement in the county jail for no more than 30 days or by both.
(c)  No  holder  of a mixed beverage permit, nor any  officer,  agent,  or employee  of a holder, may knowingly possess or permit to be possessed on  the  licensed premises any alcoholic beverage which is not covered by an invoice from the supplier from whom the alcoholic beverage was purchased.

NOTE: The above statute is enforced differently throughout the State. It appears to be subject to “local interpretation”. We have found Houston is more strictly regulated than other Texas cities. The use of a “corkage fee” by permit holders is beyond the scope of this FAQ list. It this is your intent, it is recommended that you check with the establishment first, before planning any BYOB events..

NEW CHAPTERS

How big does a group have to be to be considered as a chapter? (top)

The minimum size for a new chapter of the WST is 15 members. Individuals or smaller groups may join the WST. They will be assigned to the closest existing WST chapter.

Do all chapters operate the same way? (top)

All chapters are to be operated in accordance with the Mission Statement and By-laws of the WST and consistent with applicable state and federal laws and statutes. New Chapter Manual has been developed to provide basic guidelines for operation of the Chapters. It is acknowledged, however, that large existing chapters may need to be more structured and operate in a more formally way than smaller or newly established chapters. Chapters may decide the specific types and nature of the events that they organize. Some chapters like dinner events and others like to hold tastings, and furthermore, some like to go on road trips to wineries and interesting wine-related venues. Chapters are encouraged to poll their members and use this input in planning events that have high interest and educational content for their members.

SOCIETY FINANCES

What does the WST do with the surplus money over from events or festivals? (top)

The revenues from an event are used to cover the expenses of the event itself as well as any costs incurred with publicizing the event (postcards, postage). Any leftover funds are used by the chapter to cover operating costs (phone, office supplies, mailing, etc). There are no salaried employees in the WST. Extra funds over the operating costs go to the scholarship fund.

How are the membership fees collected and dispersed? (top)

For 2002 WST regular membership fees will be $40 for single membership and $75 for a double (dual) membership. ALL memberships fees due the WST/TWGGA by the chapters will be paid to the state headquarters. The WST local chapters will keep $10.00 of each membership: single $10.00, double $20.00.  WST headquarters will pay TWGGA the following: $25 for each membership: single $25, double $45.  The balance of the membership proceeds, $5.00 for each member: single $5, double $10 will be retained by the State WST. Supporting membership fees will be $200.00. Local chapters will retain $50 and send the balance to the State.  The State WST will retain $50 and pay TWGGA the balance of $100.00 for administrative and related services provided by TWGGA. Corporate Sponsors Fees will be $400.  Local Chapters will retain $100 and send the balance to the State. The State WST will retain $100 and pay TWGGA the balance of $200.00 for administrative and related service provided by TWGGA. Membership applications are furnished by the State Organization through the WST website.

Membership fees should be collected by having members send money by check or credit card to the bank account being managed by TWGGA specifically for membership fees. Credit card transactions for events can be run through the WST Merchant Account that is maintained at Headquarters (Houston, Texas). Other sources of funds to sustain a Chapter come from fund raising events held by the Chapter. While these events are not envisioned to make large sums of money, they do need to cover their event expenses and administrative costs of mailing, reproduction and other necessities. Occasionally, Chapter events will be used to raise money for the WST Scholarship Fund or other charities in keeping with our Mission Statement.

Can I request a statement of a chapter’s income and expenses? (top)

Yes. The WST is a 501c3 organization as designated by the IRS. It is a transparent organization and its records are subject to inspection by anyone requesting in writing to do so. This may only be denied to a person or persons who knowingly wish to harass the WST for personal reasons.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Where does the money in the WST Scholarship Fund come from? (top)

The funds in the WST Scholarship Fund are from fund raising events that the society holds periodically on the statewide or local chapter level. Most of the funds have been raised from the net proceeds of SpringFest, and annual Texas wine festival held by the WST. Additional contributions have been made by local chapters from the proceeds of chapter events and from their excess operating funds. Donations from benefactors interested in promoting education in the areas of oenology and viticulture are also possible.

How much money is available in scholarship? (top)

The amount of money offered for scholarship awards will vary with time depending on the amount of money in the fund and the anticipated revenues from future events. In 2003, the WST Scholarship Fund Committee will utilize $2500 for awards.

How does the WST determine the amount of scholarship awards and who qualifies for a scholarship? (top)

The WST has established a Scholarship Fund Committee that has an organizational document that provides the basis for its operation of the WST Scholarship Fund. Depend

What types of scholarship activities are included in the scope of the WST Scholarship Fund? (top)

The WST accepts applications from qualified individuals (a) attending institutions around the State of Texas studying viticulture and oenology, (b) those who are pursuing winery internships in Texas, or (c) Texas winemaker field studies. The intent of the WST is to promote the wine education focusing on improving grape growing and wine making in the State of Texas. The scholarships are consistent with the founding idea of WST and its continued mission to enhance the appreciation of wines, foster the knowledge of oenology and viticulture, support charitable activities, promote winemaking, and to educate wine tasters throughout the State.

RELATIONSHIP TO TWGGA

Has the WST merged with the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA)? (top)

No. The WST has entered into a cooperation agreement with TWGGA to have them assist with the administrative function of the WST. This is similar to a sub-contracting agreement that would have TWGGA maintain membership records and renewals, mail out WST newsletter inserts in their existing newsletter and other administrative activities that the WST may deem helpful. WST remains a totally separate entity

Does membership in TWGGA automatically make a person/s members of the WST? (top)

No. The WST has promoted (since June 2002) the fact that membership in WST automatically gives our members, a joint membership in TWGGA under the “Friends” category. A member of TWGGA in the Friends category does not automatically become a member of WST. But, this Friends membership can be upgraded to WST with an additional payment to the WST to raise the dues up to the WST membership rate.

The WST individual membership is $40. It includes membership in a local chapter (if one exists) and inclusion in WST events (of any chapter) at member rates. A TWGGA Friends membership is $35 and has no specific additional benefits. Friends have no events or chapters. The additional $5 will provide dual membership in both organizations and rights to attend WST chapter functions. The WST has not as yet started to upgrade TWGGA Friends to WST members as we have not received a membership listing for TWGGA Friends.