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Anti Wine Laws Continue Prohibition

March 11, 2010 – 5:48 am

Yesterday while attending the trade show at Wineries Unlimited, I kept running into numerous people and after saying I was from Maryland, added “the state where democracy isn’t happening … direct wine shipping issue.” Many of these winery enthusiasts nodded their condolences or shook their head in disbelief. I met two great people from New York who began lamenting their concerns over New York States wine laws. At some point in the conversation I mentioned that in Maryland even wineries cannot ship to consumers, and these New Yorkers were shocked! How is it that a legal product cannot be shipped directly to consumers? It defies logic and common sense.

It seems that many Maryland legislators are accepting money from the liquor lobbyists who do not support direct shipping in Maryland. It is time for the voters of Maryland to stand up for what is right and fair. Perhaps boycott businesses by not purchasing wine at any establishment, including restaurants, in a district that has a legislator who does not support direct wine shipping.

What suggestions do you have for changing the direct  wine shipping laws in Maryland?

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Who Attends Wineries Unlimited?

March 10, 2010 – 6:37 pm

Wineries Unlimited is the largest conference and trade show east of the Rockies. Vineyard growers, winemakers, tasting room staff attend and often look forward to this yearly event sponsored by Winery and Vineyard Management magazine. The event is held at the Valley Forge Convention Center in Pennsylvania during early March. Why do people flock to this conference and trade show?

Larry and Kathie Morrison of Buckeye Winery in Newark, Ohio were looking for new products. They have attended the trade show in the past and have looked at bottling equipment, tanks and tasting room gift items. This search for new products was voiced by many of the attendees as well as the exhibitors.

Dave Adams of Hanna Instruments sees the trade show as an opportunity for attendees to discover, compare and buy items. Vern Young from Ganau America, Inc believes this trade show is the best in North America. This event is large, but not too large. There is exposure to and brand recognition of many of the exhibitor companies. There was certainly a sentiment on the part of the businesses to get in touch with their customers.

Although customers could go to the Internet to view and buy items, at Wineries Unlimited they can touch the items and speak to a knowledgeable representative. For many items there was the opportunity to compare products and businesses.

Each year Wineries Unlimited helps connect wineries needs with businesses. Very likely if you have a winery and are in search of particular items, you will find them at this large trade show.

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged | Comments (0)

Wineries Unlimited Trade Show and Twitter

March 10, 2010 – 8:33 am

Wineries Unlimited Trade Show & Conference opens today to the public. The original trade show and conference was started by Winery and Management Magazine in 1976. We’ll be tweeting about the trade show during the day. If you haven’t already done so, consider becoming a Twitter friend of wineabout and winetrailtravel. We’ll help to keep you updated on wine news, wine events, wines and recipes with wine.

Cheers!

Kathy (wineabout)
Terry (WineTrailTravel)

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Travel to DrinkLocalWine Conference

March 9, 2010 – 9:41 am

There is great news for Virginia wine lovers and anyone wanting to explore Virginia wines. In April the DrinkLocalWine organization is sponsoring the 2nd Drink Local Wine Conference. This year, the conference will be held in Loudoun County, Virginia from April 24-26.

This conference is open to the public so be sure to make plans to attend and discover what all the excitement is about. Events to be included in the conference are panel discussions as well as the Twitter Taste-Off of Virginia wines.

We had the opportunity in 2009 to participate in the 1st DrinkLocalWine.com Conference held in Texas. It was a delightful experience for any wine enthusiast. So be sure to consider attending this year’s DrinkLocalWine.com conference. For more information, visit the DrinkLocalWine.com website at http://www.drinklocalwine.com.

While visiting Virginia, schedule a few extra days and visit some of the local wineries. For suggestions, you may want to use one of the Itineraries suggested on the Wine Trail Traveler website. If you want to limit the amount of driving, consider http://winetrailtraveler.com/itineraries/i66va.php. This itinerary includes wineries such as Pearmund Cellars and The Winery at La Grange.

Come to the east coast and enjoy springtime in Virginia.

Cheers!

Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

What 20,000 Disappointed Marylanders Can do Next

March 9, 2010 – 8:30 am

Another year and another defeat for direct shipping in Maryland can certainly depress the 20,000 people who make up Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws. However, there are things that can be done next. Build on the success of growing the non-profit group from 1,500 to 20,000. Aim for a six digit membership. Our state elected officials really can’t seem to help themselves fall victim to misinformation provided by lobbiests. Therefore continue to educate them and if possible, vote them out of office.

Voting politicians out of office may not have a desired result, since they will simply be replaced by other politicians. Therefore consider influencing the liquor wholesalers in the state. You might want to consider boycotting wine shops until a direct shipping bill is passed. Of course this can cause hardship but there are ways around not buying wine locally. Most Maryland residents are within an hour’s drive of a winery. Consider making a day trip to local wineries and stocking up on the wines you like.

Another option is to make your own wine. If you start with a wine kit, you will learn the basic process and end up with about 2 ½ cases of wine. By law, you are permitted to make 100 gallons of wine. You and your spouse can make 200 gallons of wine a year that is about 85 cases of wine. That’s a lot of wine. This is tax free so the state or the federal government will not collect tax on this wine. Do keep in mind that you get what you pay for when it comes to wine kits. The more expensive kits will make a product that you may enjoy better.

If you would like to make a premium wine and don’t have the equipment at home, you won’t have to travel far. There are several winemaking facilities in Maryland, where you can go to make a barrel or tank of wine. Residents in Howard, Montgomery and Carroll counties may wish to make wine at Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Clarksville, Maryland. Winemaker Dave Zuchero will guide you through the basic steps using grapes purchased from several locations including Stagecoach Vineyards in Napa. You will end up with 21 to 23 cases of quality wine that you can actually serve to friends.

You can make a difference. Take action, whether it is educating politicians or making your own tax free premium wines, get involved rather than getting depressed. Remember more thn 30 other states allow direct wine shipping – don’t let Maryland be the last to learn about the direct wine shipping benefits, including more money for the state government.

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (9)

Will Maryland Legislators Once again Vote to Keep Maryland Below Average?

March 8, 2010 – 10:54 am

Maryland legislators will once again vote on a direct shipping bill. The bill comes up every year and has trouble making it out of the committee. In Maryland, Maryland wineries as well as wineries throughout the world may not ship wine to Maryland residents. Why do I consider this below average? Because 60 percent of the country does allow wineries to ship wine to consumers in their states. Why doesn’t Maryland?

Perhaps it goes back to Prohibition and our politicians keep an outdated frame of mind. Or perhaps it is the liquor wholesalers who lobby against direct shipping in Maryland. One argument they use to frighten legislators is just as archaic as Prohibition, teens are going to get on the Internet and order wine. This argument falls on deaf ears to learned people who realize that there is no research to indicate this is a fact. It is not a problem in any of the states that allow direct shipping.

It seems to come down to how much business liquor wholesalers will lose to direct shipping. It looks like one percent must be a big cut in profits. What can Maryland residents do? Continue to let their representatives know they want direct shipping. If we do not get it, vote the incumbents out of office in November.

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , | Comments (2)

Wineries Unlimited 2010 Conference

March 8, 2010 – 10:04 am

The largest winery and vineyard conference east of the Rockies begins this week on Wednesday, March 9 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The Wineries Unlimited 2010 Conference is being held at the Valley Forge Convention Center outside of Philadelphia. Wineries Unlimited is a combination trade show and conference and lasts four days.

This is the largest conference of its kind east of the Rockies. Numerous companies and exhibitors will have displays on Wednesday and Thursday. Seminars are presented throughout the four days of the conference.

Winery and supplier workers who are unemployed can attend one day of the Trade Show with a complimentary pass when they present a “pink slip” from a known company.

Winery and Vineyard Management Magazine has produced the Wineries Unlimited Conference since 1976. According to the press release from Richard Leahy, “Wineries Unlimited offers grape growers and vintners the opportunity to fulfill their annual operational needs by inspecting new products and meeting supplier representatives.”

Seminars will include viticulture, enology and marketing. The conference includes silent and live auctions.

Anyone who is involved in the wine industry in any aspect should consider attending one or four days of this year’s Wineries Unlimited Conference.

For more information, visit the Wineries Unlimited 2010 website.

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Wine, Fundraisers, Tanzania

March 7, 2010 – 9:19 am

Last night we participated in an early St. Patrick’s Day dinner that will benefit children in Tanzania. Tickets for dinner included Irish stew, salad, ½ corn beef sandwich and dessert. The event began at 6pm with numerous snacks including spicy mixed nibbles, animal crackers and pretzels. All of this for a twenty dollar ticket. Beer and wine were available for a small fee. The wines chosen to be served were boxed wines. I had a light, sweet wine that was okay but not memorable. However this was for a worthy cause and so I didn’t mind. A local band provided live Irish music and there was a performance of Irish music. It was a delightful time for everyone and all for a good cause – The Tanzanian Children’s Project.

The Tanzanian Children’s Project seeks to build a medical clinic that will provide health care to those living in Mahida, Tanzania. More information about the Tanzanian Children’s Project is available at the website: www.TanzaniaKids.org.

If you are looking for a way to help others in need, consider a fundraiser at a winery. Wineries are great places to hold fundraisers. Participants can have a delightful time and also help others in need.

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Pistachio Encrusted Grouper Recipe with Grape Seed Oil

March 6, 2010 – 9:38 am

Are you looking for an entrée to make for this weekend? We have added the recipe for Pistachio Encrusted Grouper provided by Wintergreen Winery in Virginia to the recipes on the Wine Trail Traveler website. While this recipe does not have wine as an ingredient, it does call for grape seed oil, which can be obtained at some winery tasting rooms and one of our partners, Après Vin in Washington. This particular recipe uses pistachio nuts, butter, grouper fillets and spinach leaves. Check out the recipe for all ingredients before heading for the grocery store.

We continue to search for more recipes that have wine as one of the ingredients. We are also interested in adding recipes that use grape seed oil or grape seed flour.

Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers!

By Kathy | Posted in Wine/Food/Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Twitter Sauvignon Blanc Tasting

March 5, 2010 – 10:33 am

Last night we participated in the Twitter Sauvignon Blanc tasting. We invited friends to join us in tasting five different Sauvignon Blancs and provided three appetizers. The wines included two from Napa Valley, one from New Zealand, one was from France and one from Temecula Valley in California with grapes from Washington.

Conversation was great and varied from wine related comments to any other topic anyone wanted to discuss.

The final wine of the evening was Sweet Surrender, a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Keyways Winery in Temecula California. This is a deliciously sweet wine but not syrupy. The honey tones with summer fruit nuances of the wine was excellent with the paired appetizer – baked brie topped with honey and walnuts. Keyways Winery is a delightful winery to visit. The winery offers frequent events especially on the weekends.

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

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