Even when Congress is on its long, annual, August/September recess, they can manage to spoil the summer with threats of a government shutdown on October 1 unless a small minority of House members get their way. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have both called for a “continuing resolution” … Read more
As a proud native New Yorker (Rochester-born, Finger Lakes for the past 40+ years) and someone who created and ran the New York Wine & Grape Foundation for 30+ years, it’s hard to be brief when describing the New York wine industry’s origins and evolution, but I’ll do my best with a series of brief factoids. New … Read more
Disaster Relief Request Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have formally requested that the US Department of Agriculture provide quick approval of disaster relief funds for New York farmers under a Federal Agricultural Disaster Declaration. The measure was in response to a severe cold snap across New York State on May 17 … Read more
New Mexico was one of earliest places in the country to grow grapes, which were planted by Franciscan priests in 1629 in what is now the Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA. The state’s two other AVAs are the Mesilla Valley and Mimbres Valley. In the 1880’s census, New Mexico had twice the grape acreage of … Read more
Wine World Beat As mentioned last week, FIVS is like a global version of WineAmerica, monitoring and influencing public policy developments on an international level. The organization’s 55 members from 25 worldwide markets represent about 75% of the world’s wine production. Also, like WineAmerica, FIVS publishes regular updates on recent developments such as those in its most … Read more