NAPA — California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) shut down the 30-year-old Napa home winemaking fundraiser recently.
I heard ABC did the same to Lake County”s home winemaking fundraiser earlier this year.
Home brewers and winemakers are quite upset. Home winemaking competitions coupled with fundraising have been going on for a long time.
The apparent reason is selling a glass to the public for tasting home wine at an event is illegal sale of alcohol.
Home winemakers and brewers and many supporters started a petition and lobbying effort to get the laws or the interpretation of the laws changed. It can be found at http://chn.ge/14pAXpb. We are seeking signatures.
I would like to get the word out to support local hobby winemakers if for no other reason than economics.
I, and a growing number of hobbyists have purchased Lake County grapes and will continue to do so.
Winemaker Magazine, whose readership are hobby winemakers, stated in June that in its 15 years of publishing, they calculated their readership has spent a total of $957 million on grapes, supplies, equipment and services.
That”s an average of nearly $64 million per year, and growing.
There are a large and growing number of high-quality home winemakers throughout the state and in your county.
They need the support of the influential players in the wine industry and of the hobbyists, so that they will not be hassled by the state.
