When I joined the wine industry 43 years ago as Executive Director of the New York State Wine Grape Growers, California dominated the national scene, as it does today, New York was a distant but clear second, and Washington a very distant third. How things have changed over time, with Washington now by far the … Read more
No NOAA? Congress is in recess for the Easter and Passover holidays, so things are quiet in DC, allowing Michael Kaiser to schedule about 80 meetings with legislators on May 6-7. That’s when members of our Board of Directors, State and Regional Associations Advisory Council (SRAAC), and others will come to DC for our annual … Read more
Virginia has had a long and distinguished history in the world of wine, starting with the earliest settlers in 1609, through the colonial period and independence, and most recently from the mid-1970’s when the Italian Zonin family created Barboursville Vineyards. As the Virginia Wineries Association says, Virginia is situated midway between Europe and California, and produces … Read more
TTB, Tariffs, and Tourism How many times have you appreciated, praised, and publicly supported regulators? That’s exactly what WineAmerica just did as part of a coalition of trade associations representing the alcohol beverage sector, including our colleagues at Wine Institute and others representing beer, spirits and the wholesale areas. Together, beer, wine and spirits contribute … Read more
Vermont is a relative newcomer to the world of wine, with Fresh Tracks Farm opening in 2003, but since then followed by many others, largely in response to the availability of cold-hardy “Minnesota” varieties like Frontenac, LaCrescent, and Marquette. The Green Mountain State also has an abundance of other fruit and beekeepers, so non-grape fruit … Read more