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
Thanks to the Aloha State, we have direct interstate wine shipping in America today. If you go back almost 40 years, to 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bacchus decision ruled that giving Hawaiian pineapple wine favorable treatment in terms of excise taxes would be unfair discrimination under the Commerce Clause. That same year, when wine … Read more