Vermont is a relative newcomer to the world of wine, with Fresh Tracks Farm opening in 2003, but since then followed by many others, largely in response to the availability of cold-hardy “Minnesota” varieties like Frontenac, LaCrescent, and Marquette. The Green Mountain State also has an abundance of other fruit and beekeepers, so non-grape fruit … Read more

Tariffs and Collateral Damage: Tourism? The international tariff war has also morphed into a tourism battle, with two of the largest countries for tourists coming to the United States—Canada and the United Kingdom—discouraging their citizens from visiting our country. This could have direct and indirect impacts on wineries in border states like New York, especially … Read more

Utah has had a long and varied history of wine production and consumption, all tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, also known as the Mormon Church). At first, the church leadership encouraged grape and wine production, particularly in the southern part of the state due to its climate, but later … Read more

Government shutdowns occur when Congress and the Administration don’t pass a new budget or a “kick-the-can-down-the-road “Continuing Resolution” (CR) that just keeps the old budget in place. Normally there’s high drama on the last night, right up to midnight, when usually but not always everything magically comes together. There was a month-long shutdown in the … Read more

Texas is a great example of how wine affects many sectors of the economy from vine to glass. In terms of the number of wineries, the Lone Star State ranks fifth, but it’s second in terms of wine’s total impact from wine, after California (of course). Why? Population and consumption, as opposed to production. In … Read more