Congress is in recess for the moment, so DC is relatively quiet, though legislative staff continues to work on various issues, as does WineAmerica’s staff. Even though there is still no official notice from the Tax and Trade Bureau, we know they will be examining the issues of nutritional and ingredient labeling for alcoholic beverages … Read more

Wine is produced and consumed in all 50 states, and every single one is wonderfully unique… Illinois has a long history of winegrowing, with the first grapes planted in 1691 and the “Land of Lincoln” ranking as the nation’s fourth largest wine producer in 1900 before Prohibition wiped everything out. The modern industry began in … Read more

by Jim Trezise, President Farm Bill Moves Ahead The Senate and House were both in session this week, and the respective Chairs of both Agriculture Committees—Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA)—seem intent on advancing the massive five-year Farm Bill. President Biden has proposed an increase of 14%, to $30.1 billion, for the … Read more

Idaho has a long history of grape and wine production, with the first vineyards planted in 1864 even before neighboring Oregon and Washington, which have evolved into much larger industries that supply some grapes for some Idaho wineries. The large Snake River Valley AVA, established in 2007, has been joined by two others: Eagle Foothills, … Read more

As I reported last week, the President’s budget proposal includes a 14% boost for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the Farm Bill plus additional research. How wise. A few recent developments have reminded me of how research pays off in so many ways, even though it typically takes time to do … Read more