Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds The Sale Of Beer At Wegmans Stores

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This week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court potentially opened the door for beer sales at supermarkets and big retailers. The seven justices found in a unanimous decision that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board properly granted licenses to Wegmans Food Market Inc. to sell beer at eating areas in its supermarkets. For more information read The Philadelphia Inquirer’s: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Beer Sales At Wegmans Store.

FDA To Effectively Ban Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks

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Federal regulators are preparing to ban the drink Four Loko and other manufacturers of similar alcoholic energy drinks following numerous deaths of Fourloko_220young people who are drinking the fruity flavored caffeinated alcohol energy drink.

Many state governments are moving to limit the sale of these products or to ban them outright. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has sent letters to the state’s 17,000 beer distributors encouraging them to cease the sale of the drinks until a FDA investigation determines the products safety.

Today Senator Charles Schumer D-NY, issued a press release announcing that the Food and Drug Administration will rule that producers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages are marketing products that are considered to be unsafe and should be banned from the market. For more on these developments read here: Schumer:FDA To Effectively Ban Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks.

Pennsylvania’s Winery Neighbors In The Garden State Of New Jersey Have A New AVA Designation.

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Pennsylvania’s neighbors in the Garden State of New Jersey continue to emerge as east coast regional wine producers with its recent American Viticulture Area approved by the US Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau. The South East geographic portion of the state has been designated The Outer Coastal Plain AVA.

This is exciting news for the state’s emerging wine industry. I look forward to including more posts on New Jersey’s winery/hospitality industry and as a member of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey state bars, to address their future legal needs as well.

Meanwhile, for more on this news read Dr. Lawrence Cola’s: New East Coast AVA Established

Pennsylvania’s Galen Glen Winery Gets Big Kudos From Global Wine Reviewer

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There aren’t many Pennsylvania Wines if any that grab the attention of the famous global wine reviewer himself, Mr. Robert Parker. Happily, I wanted to give a very special shout out and big “congratulations” to my winemaker friends on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Sarah and Galen Troxell at Galen Glen Winery for it’s notable Gruner Veltliner and Zweigeit Wines recently reviewed by Mr. Robert Parker. There is a lot to celebrate in the tasting room at Galen Glen Winery. To learn more about this great review read here: Robert Parker Scores Gruner Veltliner

Have You Considered “Greening” Your Pennsylvania Winery or Hospitality Business?

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Have you considered “greening” your Pennsylvania Winery or Hospitality Business? If so, you may want to follow in the footsteps of University of California, Davis. Looking to serve as a model for wineries and hospitality industries throughout the nation, UC Davis has launched the world’s “greenest” winery, brewery and foods facility. The new winery, brewery, and food processing complex was designed to serve as a “test bed” for production processes and techniques that conserve water, energy and other resources. For more information read: UC Davis Launches World’s Greenest Winery, Brewery, and Foods Facility.

Pennsylvania’s Winery Neighbors In The Garden State Are Beginning To Flourish.

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Pennsylvania’s neighbors in the Garden State of New Jersey have recently begun to emerge as wine producers. With 39 wineries and eight more waiting for licenses, wine production in the state has improved dramatically in recent years. Thus, I look forward to including more posts on New Jersey’s winery/hospitality industry and to address their future legal needs as well. Meanwhile, for a closer look at New Jersey’s growing wine industry your may enjoy reading the Press of Atlantic City’s: A Growing Industry Gets Better With Age

Lawmakers and Winemakers Look To Legalize Virtual Wineries

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Significant changes may be coming to the wine industry beginning with Washington State. Winemakers are looking to legalize virtual wineries which currently have no defined place within the state’s liquor legislation landscape. Like Pennsylvania, Washington State is one of 18 states to retain monopoly on liquor sales. To read more on the Washington’s potential new winery license read here: Will Washington Legalize Virtual Wineries?

Does Your Pennsylvania Winery, Restaurant, Or Hospitality Business Embrace The Millennials?

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Is your winery, restaurant, or hospitality business attracting the new generation of young millennial’s? If so, you’ll not want to miss marketing to this group on their own terms. Just ask them. If you don’t get on this train, it will surely leave the station without you.

Check out this new virtual sommelier aka Enomatic Wine Dispensing System. This high tech sommelier gone wild can be found at the CLO Wine Bar in New York, New York. CLO Bar has the right mix of edge and attitude to attract today’s generation of young drinkers. Its a visionary concept that may appeal to the future urban winery or trendy hot spot for the next budding restauranteur.

So just for today, I have momentarily veered away from a more serious post and have included a link for your viewing pleasure. Just between you and I…this spot has been added to my list of favorite places to visit. Perhaps I’ll see you there!

Will Pennsylvania Wine Consumers Swipe and Blow?

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plcb_kiosk
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has recently introduced it’s new vending machines aka “wine kiosks” to the Commonwealth. Customers must swipe their ID, blow into a breathalyzer, and look into a security camera to buy their wine. A State employee then verifies that you are who you say you are and that you are also sober. If you pass the swipe and blow test you are approved to buy wine.

Based on the success of a recent trial run of two test kiosks, the PLCB has just announced it will be adding over 100 kiosks in grocery stores all over the Commonwealth.

A big question still outstanding is whether Pennsylvania produced wines will make it into the wine kiosks for consumer purchase. After all, if its good for Pennsylvanians to “eat local”, then why not “drink local”?

What say you?

This Is How We Get Our Wine Toast On In Pennsylvania!

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If you’re the life of the party and the great “toaster”, you may be interested in joining white-wine-toastPennsylvania Wine Association’s toast competition. If you can write a toast of a 100 words or less, this is a party you surely will not want to miss.

Sixty-two wineries state wide are participating in the Great Pennsylvania Wine Toast. Pennsylvanian’s are setting out to achieve a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people raising a toast on August 14 at various wineries simultaneously. Do get your pen, paper and wine out and join The Great Pennsylvania Wine Toast celebration.

For more information on the competition and how to apply read here: Pennsylvania Wine Association