(Wines&Vines) - This spring, it looked like everything was coming together to allow Summerhill Pyramid Winery to operate its on-site restaurant with a food primary license.

But when its license application was sent to the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch for final approval, bureaucrats examined it closely. Summerhill sits within the province’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), designed to protect farmland from development. A food primary license is granted to applicants deemed a non-farm use under the regulations governing the reserve, and a food primary license for Summerhill would set a precedent.

B.C. wineries that serve food typically do so under a winery lounge endorsement, introduced in 2005, which allows wineries to sell and serve only “wine manufactured and bottled in British Columbia.” A food primary license would allow Summerhill to serve a full range of alcoholic beverages in its restaurant, something not permitted under a winery lounge endorsement, and host weddings and other events without the need for a special occasion license.