Producer or wholesaler licences have been included in the risk-based annual licence fees scheme, which will be phased in this financial year. 

Cellar door operators will have to pay $500 a year, which is the same base rate as pubs, clubs and some bottle shops.

Larger, late night or violent venues will be charged loading fees to reflect the level of risk posed by such venues. 

Vale Creek Wine owner and winemaker Tony Hatch said it was ridiculous to charge small producers or wholesalers such a high fee. 

“People come in and just have tastings. There are some vignerons who have producer and wholesale licences who don’t even have cellar doors and just sell via mail order or supply restaurants,” he said. 

“I completely agree with what the government is trying to achieve,” he said. “But it is ridiculous to put such a penalty on vignerons.”

Mr Hatch said there had never been the slightest hint of alcohol-related violence or harm at his cellar door. 

“We’ve all read about problems in Kings Cross. Occasionally someone gets out of hand at a local hotel here, but you can’t compare cellar doors to those venues.”

He said the yearly fee would have a significant impact on owners of small wineries who were trying to survive in a small regional area at a time when the wine industry was depressed. 

Winburndale Wines owner and wine maker Michael Burleigh agreed, and said he thought it was unfair that premises with producer or wholesale licences would be charged more than those operating under a small bar licence, who will pay a $200 fee.

“I am not against the fee, but surely a cellar door should only have to pay the lowest fee,” he said. “A cellar door is generally only open during the day and by law can only serve tastings of wine, while a small bar which can be open till late at night has no limit on how much they can serve someone while they are sober.”

Mr Burleigh said it was completely unfair that wineries which did not have a cellar door would be required to pay the fee. 

He said he had written to Member for Bathurst Paul Toole, who has passed his concerns on to Hospitality Minister Troy Grant.

“I received a letter back a week ago from the minister,” he said. “He did not address the issues in my letter, but spoke more on the scheme.

“I’m going to write back to him. He has been claiming we are following in the steps of other states, but in Victoria and South Australia cellar doors ranked as a much lower risk.”