DC Fly-In: Lobbying on Steroids On May 7-8, WineAmerica held its annual “fly-in” to Washington, with some 40 members converging from around the country to meet with their Senators and Representatives about WineAmerica’s legislative and regulatory priorities. This is lobbying on steroids. All year, WineAmerica staff members Michael Kaiser and Tara Good do the normal … Read more
With a rich history, ideal wine growing conditions, and a recent surge in wineries, Idaho has been emerging from the shadows of its larger neighbors, Oregon and Washington, to claim a place of its own on the world’s wine map. Actually, grapes were planted there (1864, in Lewiston) before either of the other Pacific Northwest … Read more
Bipartisan Agreement (!) Just when we thought it was forever impossible, a coalition of House Republicans and Democrats passed crucial legislation to fund conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region. It was truly a high-wire act for Speaker Mike Johnson, who some of his outraged GOP colleagues are threatening to “vacate” (meaning fire) because … Read more
“The Aloha State” unwittingly granted us some of the marketing freedoms we now enjoy, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1984 “Bacchus” decision stating the states may not discriminate in favor of their native industries to the detriment of wineries from other states. It had to do with taxation on pineapple wine, but ultimately the … Read more
DC Update This week brought more of the same (i.e., nothing) of interest to the wine industry, but plenty of political drama. The House impeachment of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkis quickly died in the Senate. Speaker Mike Johnson is walking a tightrope on vital defense funding measures (Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan) while his GOP colleagues threaten … Read more