Kansas Wine Country Like many states, Kansas was a significant wine producer in the 19th Century along with neighboring Missouri, populated by German immigrants who brought the wine tradition with them. However, it was also the home of Carrie Nation and the early temperance movement, and, in 1881, the first state to pass statewide prohibition. … Read more

Back to Business Congress is back in DC, and the House finally passed the Farm Bill, which will now go to the Senate for an uncertain future. The House version, which should have been passed years ago, includes some good provisions for the American wine industry: a doubling of export promotion funding for agricultural products, … Read more

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