Local wineries, breweries, and microbreweries will begin offering tastings at the West Seattle, Magnolia, and Pike Place farmer's markets starting on September 1, as part of a pilot program approved by the state legislature last session.

Don't get too excited. As with everything the comically cautious Washington State Liquor Control Board regulates, moderation is key. For instance, only one brewery, microbrewery or winery can offer samples per market, per day. Those samples must be two ounces or less. Customers must be 21+ and can have no more than four ounces, which they must consume while corralled off from polite society by rope, fence, or tangible wall of shame.

Wine and beer vendors must also offer food or be next to a vendors preparing food. And as always, WSLCB agents will be patrolling the participating farmer's markets to ensure that no one is having fun compliance.

The pilot program will run September 1, 2011 through November 1, 2012. Then: "We'll return to the legislature and tell them if there are any problems and they'll ultimately decide if it's successful," explains Brian Smith, the communications director for the WSLCB.

Four breweries and 47 in-state wineries (.pdf) were deemed qualified to participate in the pilot program.

Full list of participating farmer's markets beneath my folds...

For the pilot program, the WSLCB contacted 50 eligible farmer's markets around the state—eligibility defined, among other things, as markets where farm sale revenues exceed that of crafts vendors—and then narrowed their list down to 10 pilot markets, including the three Seattle markets. "We'd be willing to work next year to expand the definition of 'farmer's markets,'" says Smith.

Here's the list:

· West Seattle Farmers Market, 4400 S.W. Alaska St. in Seattle
· Magnolia Farmers Market, 2550 34th Ave. W. in Seattle
· Vancouver Farmers Market, 605 Esther St. in Vancouver
· Everett Farmers Market, Inc., 1600 W. Marine View Drive in Everett
· Vashon Farmers Market, Village Green, 17511 Vashon Highway S. in Vashon
· Liberty Lake Farmers Market, 1421 N. Meadowwood Lane in Liberty Lake
· Proctor Farmers Market, N. 27th St. between Proctor and Madison in Tacoma
· Pasco Farmers Market, Fourth and Columbia in Pasco
· Pike Place Market; Street Farmers Market, Pike Place, between Pine and Steward Streets, in Seattle
· Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market, Columbia Street between First and Palouse in Wenatchee