Bill Lets Underage Brewers Taste Wine, But They Have To Spit It Out

It may be gross, and it may be slight, but progress is progress.

Underage California viticulture students: Your day of freedom is coming.

The state Assembly recently approved a bill that would allow brewery students at public universities to taste the fruits of their labors, even if they haven't yet turned 21.

The only catch? Students can't drink the wine. They are required to sample and spit, according to Campus Reform:

University professors will be tasked with monitoring underage students and handling any problems that could arise, Adrian Lopez, state governmental relations director at University of California—Davis (UC Davis) said.

"This bill is so students can taste the product they're making in order to develop their sensory skills early on and become the best winemakers and the best brewers," Lopez told Campus Reform in an interview.

…Last month, the bill passed on the assembly floor with 73 votes in favor and only two opposing. Lopez said he remains "cautiously optimistic" that the bill will continue to keep its momentum as it's slated to hit California's senate on June 24.

"We have a lot of limitations in place so folks understand it's not an underage consumption bill," Lopez said. "It's for a small amount of students in a major program."

Besides having to spit out anything they taste, students will be monitored by a professor (who must be over the age of 21) and must be enrolled in an accredited viticulture program at a public university.

It may be gross, and it may be slight, but progress is progress.