Iowa Wine Country Like many states, Iowa produced grapes and wine far earlier than assumed (1857), even created a Grape Growers Association in 1893, and was the 6th largest producer until Prohibition wiped out the entire American wine industry. The modern wine industry has been propelled by creation of the Iowa Wine Growers Association in 2000 to … Read more

Fly-In Messaging WineAmerica is the national wine industry’s messenger for federal public policy priorities. Next week, 25 WineAmerica members from 10 states will attend about 80 meetings in just two days.  They’ll brief top staff members of their Senators and Representatives, all emphasizing the same messages: –Discontinue the sale of intoxicating hemp until appropriate regulation … Read more

Indiana Wine Country The Hoosier state had grapes and wine in the 18th century, and was the 10th largest producer by the mid 19th century. The Indiana Small Winery Act of 1971 sparked major growth, so now the state has many small wineries and two of the largest in the United States. The state’s location … Read more

Congress is MIA—Again Easter and Passover are past, Christmas and Hanukkah are still far away, and several legislative priorities still need to be addressed, but Congress is M.I.A.— out of town for two weeks—again. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Farm Bill, and many other items remain in limbo, yet our legislators have … Read more

Illinois Wine Country Illinois has a winegrowing history dating back to 1691, and in 1900 was the fourth largest wine producer in the country until Prohibition wiped out the industry, as it did elsewhere. The modern industry was stimulated by a 1976 law allowing onsite sales at wineries, with both Lynfred and Galena wineries opening … Read more