Refilling wine bottles not allowed in Washington

Q . My wife and I travel to California to see relatives around Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. We save our clean de-labeled wine bottles and refill them at the Obester Winery in Half Moon Bay on certain Saturdays for $4.50. We bring home six or more cases. They alternate reds and whites.

Where can we do that in Washington?

A. I have fond memories from my many trips to France seeing wine being sold directly from tanker trucks at little village farmers markets. You bring your container (sometimes an old bottle, often just a plastic carboy) and they fill 'er up. The wine is fresh, local and cheap and often quite pleasant to drink.

Unfortunately, refilling bottles for wine is not allowed in Washington state. So there is no place you can find anyone selling wine that way. The law requires that all bottles must be labeled when sold.

A fairly recent change in the law was required simply to allow wineries to legally sell even their bottled and labeled wines at farmers markets. We are still a long way from making wine an everyday beverage in this country.

Paul Gregutt answers questions weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.