Pennsylvania Winery and Hospitality Lawyer » Uncategorized

Shout Out To Pennsylvania Winery and Hospitality Bloggers: Whose Got The Juice?

Judy Young — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:16:04 +0000

Its that time again folks! Wine Blogger Tom Wark at Fermentation has recently announced this year’s finalists for the 2010 American Wine Blogs. Its always interesting to see which social media wine bloggers are giving American media a run for its juice. Is your winery’s blog amongst this year’s nominees?

Go now and cast your vote. American Wine Blog Awards

Are You Planning To Help Yourself To Some Wine With Your Meal?

Judy Young — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:45:24 +0000

If you’re planning to enjoy wine with your meals, Pennsylvania will soon be offering you a new way to help yourself. Pennsylvania is one of 19 states in which the distribution of alcohol is controlled by state government. As mentioned in my earlier post So Who’s In Control of Pennsylvania’s Alcohol Beverage Industry, alcohol distribution in the state of Pennsylvania is controlled by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB).

The PLCB is now going high tech in its plans to distribute alcohol in the state. Over 100 Pennsylvania grocery stores are anticipated to get the state’s new self serve wine dispensing kiosks operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Buyers will have to swipe their drivers license and breathe in a breathalyzer prior to purchase.

Are you planning to help yourself to some wine at your local supermarket? If so, for more information read here: Wine Vending Machine Coming To Supermarket.

A Pennsylvania Winery Wins Medals At San Diego’s International Sommelier Challenge

Judy Young — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:05:53 +0000

The first Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition was held recently in San Diego, California. Eleven sommeliers from the nation’s finest restaurants gathered to evaluate wines from nine countries. Pennsylvania’s own Crossing Vineyards and Winery, a Bucks County winery in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania earned the Platinum, Gold and Silver medals.

Congratulations to Pennsylvania’s own Crossing Vineyards and Winery! For more information: Crossing Vineyards Wines Earn Three Medals At International Sommelier Challenge.

What Secrets Do You Need To Keep In Your Wine or Hospitality Business?

Judy Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:30:26 +0000

Have you identified information in your winery, wine, or hospitality business that is valuable as a trade secret? Perhaps you have certain technologies, techniques, materials, innovations, inventions, customer lists or formulas that you need to protect? If so, what steps have you taken to protect the secrecy of your business’s confidential information?

A sensible way for you to maintain your business’s trade secrets and confidential information is through the use of a Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreement. A Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreement can be indispensable in helping you to protect your ideas, formulas, trade secrets, new business ventures, and key business information. A Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreement is a written agreement executed by you and your key employees, suppliers, distributors, buyers, sellers or independent contractors who either help create or have access to your confidential information.

A Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreement can be one-way (use is restricted by one-party) or it can be mutual (use is restricted by both parties). The parties contractually agree to protect the confidentiality of your business information against improper disclosure of information that is not generally known or in the public domain. The parties are legally bound to keep the information secret. If a disclosure of your confidential information is made, you may sue for damages or pursue a court order against the violator for future unauthorized disclosures.

Key elements of a Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure agreement include:

defining the confidential information
determining time frames to maintain confidentiality of the information
determining the particular purpose for which the parties will disclose the confidential information
agreement that the parties not disclose the information to third parties
binding the heirs and assignees of the agreement.

It is important to limit access to such information to those persons in your business who need to know certain information in order to perform their duties. Thus you should take reasonable steps to store and secure your paper and electronic information.

What confidential information do you need to keep secret? Perhaps now is a good time to consider a Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreement for your winery, wine or hospitality business.

New Jersey’s Garden State Wine Growers Battle Mother Nature

Judy Young — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:28:22 +0000

Reporting for the Star-Ledger, writer Leslie Kwoh’s article reveals the painstaking tasks that New Jersey winery owners are having, dealing with deadly fungus in the wake of the summer’s torrential rains. Throughout the Northeast, gaining momentum in the wine industry has been difficult when facing the challenges of Mother Nature. Read the full article here: N.J. Vineyards Expect Poor Crop After Summer’s Torrential Rains.

Did You Know There’s A Wine Revolution Going On?

Judy Young — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:50:27 +0000

Some would say there’s a wine revolution movement going on and it’s called Wine Library TV. Wine Library TV is a daily wine video blog. At its helm is rising star Gary Vaynerchuck. Gary has a viewership of more than 80,000 followers, aka self proclaimed “vayniacs”.

I very much enjoyed watching Gary Vaynerchuk’s Episode #746 Fulfilling Promises. In this episode Gary fulfilled his promise to review wines sent to him by his followers. Hey Gary, I can’t wait for your review of some Pennsylvania wines!! What say you Pennsylvania Vayniacs?

Watch Episode #746 Fulfilling Promises: