Utah has had a long and varied history of wine production and consumption, all tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, also known as the Mormon Church). At first, the church leadership encouraged grape and wine production, particularly in the southern part of the state due to its climate, but later … Read more
Government shutdowns occur when Congress and the Administration don’t pass a new budget or a “kick-the-can-down-the-road “Continuing Resolution” (CR) that just keeps the old budget in place. Normally there’s high drama on the last night, right up to midnight, when usually but not always everything magically comes together. There was a month-long shutdown in the … Read more
Texas is a great example of how wine affects many sectors of the economy from vine to glass. In terms of the number of wineries, the Lone Star State ranks fifth, but it’s second in terms of wine’s total impact from wine, after California (of course). Why? Population and consumption, as opposed to production. In … Read more
This sign says it all. It’s one of many signs in all stores of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), the provincial government monopoly that controls all importation, purchasing, marketing, sales, and taxation of wine and other alcoholic beverages. The same system and syndrome are true all across Canada’s other provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, … Read more
Like many states, Tennessee had a significant grape and wine industry in the 19th Century until Prohibition wiped it out. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture recorded 1,128 vineyard acres and 64,769 gallons in 1880, largely due to German immigrants. The modern grape and wine industry began taking shape in the 1970s with creation … Read more