DC Updates
Lame Duck Session 2024
With the dust settled from the election, Congress returned this week to begin some necessary year-end actions, specifically related to the budget and avoiding a government shutdown.
Republican legislators want to give the incoming Trump Administration a clean slate for establishing funding priorities, so they proposed a continuing resolution with the 2024 amounts remaining in effect through March. This means there will be no new Farm Bill or National Defense Authorization Act until next year.
Meanwhile, all regulatory initiatives in TTB and other agencies will be halted until further notice once the new Administration is in place.
Michael Kaiser, our Executive Vice President and Director of Government Affairs, is working with our coalition partners to navigate the new DC, which will be significantly different. WineAmerica is the American wine industry’s eyes and ears in Washington, and every winery should be a member. Click here to join!
SFCWC: Enter Today!
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the nation’s earliest and largest each year, is now accepting entries. The deadline is December 4, so enter today.
The “Chronicle”, as we fondly call it, is celebrating its 25th year, and I have been judging for most of those. Sponsored by Northern California’s major newspaper, overseen by Bob and Scott Fraser, and superbly organized by the incomparable Anne Vercelli, the Chronicle is extremely well run, expertly judged, and totally open to all types and styles of wines—Vinifera, French-American, Labrusca, Cornell, Minnesota—which win top medals if the quality is in the bottle.
The Chronicle always involves several thousand entries, dozens of judges, and scores of backroom volunteers to keep the competition humming along. Next year’s judging, which I’ll attend again with pleasure, takes place on January 14-17. Award-winning wines receive comprehensive media coverage across print, radio, online platforms, and social media, alongside year-round recognition on winejudging.com.
The wine industry is in a challenging period, and one way to meet it is by promoting your product. If you don’t enter, you can’t win. Visit https://winejudging.com/
