Food & Wine
Tue, July 29, 2025
[ Today @ 05:47 PM ]: The New York Times
[ Today @ 05:27 PM ]: Katie Couric Media
[ Today @ 05:07 PM ]: Time Out
[ Today @ 03:28 PM ]: Penn Live
[ Today @ 03:27 PM ]: The Independent US
[ Today @ 02:47 PM ]: Times of San Diego
[ Today @ 02:27 PM ]: Newsweek
[ Today @ 02:08 PM ]: Mashed
[ Today @ 01:27 PM ]: Shacknews
[ Today @ 01:07 PM ]: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[ Today @ 12:27 PM ]: Tasting Table
[ Today @ 11:28 AM ]: Forbes
[ Today @ 11:08 AM ]: The Clarion-Ledger
[ Today @ 11:07 AM ]: The Scotsman
[ Today @ 10:28 AM ]: Chowhound
[ Today @ 10:10 AM ]: Sun Sentinel
[ Today @ 10:09 AM ]: Newsweek
[ Today @ 10:07 AM ]: The Jerusalem Post Blogs
[ Today @ 09:28 AM ]: Chowhound
[ Today @ 09:27 AM ]: Entrepreneur
[ Today @ 09:07 AM ]: CNN
[ Today @ 08:47 AM ]: The Advocate
[ Today @ 07:48 AM ]: Food & Wine
[ Today @ 07:47 AM ]: Cleveland.com
[ Today @ 07:27 AM ]: CBS News
[ Today @ 07:07 AM ]: The Repository
[ Today @ 06:27 AM ]: Associated Press
[ Today @ 05:27 AM ]: The Jerusalem Post Blogs
[ Today @ 05:07 AM ]: BBC
[ Today @ 04:27 AM ]: Associated Press
[ Today @ 03:48 AM ]: newsbytesapp.com
[ Today @ 03:28 AM ]: The Telegraph
[ Today @ 03:27 AM ]: CNN
[ Today @ 03:09 AM ]: Decider
[ Today @ 03:07 AM ]: Penn Live
[ Today @ 02:47 AM ]: Fox 9
[ Today @ 01:27 AM ]: The New Zealand Herald
Mon, July 28, 2025
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WIVT Binghamton
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WOWT.com
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Allrecipes
[ Yesterday Evening ]: AFP
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WJHL Tri-Cities
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Associated Press
[ Yesterday Evening ]: nbcnews.com
[ Yesterday Evening ]: yahoo.com
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WISH-TV
[ Yesterday Evening ]: The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WHIO
[ Yesterday Evening ]: CBS News
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Athlon Sports
[ Yesterday Evening ]: thefp.com
[ Yesterday Evening ]: CNN
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Channel NewsAsia Singapore
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: WTWO Terre Haute
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: List Wire
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: WTAJ Altoona
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: reuters.com
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: KLFY Lafayette
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: WSAV Savannah
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: Patch
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: Fox Business
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: Oregonian
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: BBC
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: The Independent
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: Bon Appetit
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: WHTM
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: Parade
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: Thunder Wire
[ Yesterday Morning ]: The Hill
[ Yesterday Morning ]: WBTW Myrtle Beach
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Chowhound
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Daily Record
[ Yesterday Morning ]: E! News
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Cleveland.com
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Daily Meal
[ Yesterday Morning ]: 6abc News
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Eating Well
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
[ Yesterday Morning ]: fingerlakes1
[ Yesterday Morning ]: The Cool Down
[ Yesterday Morning ]: AZ Central
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Snopes
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Food & Wine
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Forbes
[ Yesterday Morning ]: NBC New York
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Morning Call PA
[ Yesterday Morning ]: The New York Times
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Philadelphia Inquirer
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Post and Courier
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Knoxville News Sentinel
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Penn Live
[ Yesterday Morning ]: KSAZ
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Treasure Coast Newspapers
[ Yesterday Morning ]: WMUR
[ Yesterday Morning ]: KTLA articles
[ Yesterday Morning ]: The Scotsman
[ Yesterday Morning ]: CNET
[ Yesterday Morning ]: Local 12 WKRC Cincinnati
Sun, July 27, 2025
[ Last Sunday ]: FOX 10 Phoenix
[ Last Sunday ]: The Wrap
[ Last Sunday ]: ABC Kcrg 9
[ Last Sunday ]: KFVS12
[ Last Sunday ]: KY3
[ Last Sunday ]: Tasting Table
[ Last Sunday ]: Dallas Morning News
[ Last Sunday ]: Irish Examiner
[ Last Sunday ]: Chowhound
[ Last Sunday ]: Albuquerque Journal
[ Last Sunday ]: Parade Home & Garden
[ Last Sunday ]: reuters.com
[ Last Sunday ]: The Hill
[ Last Sunday ]: The Globe and Mail
[ Last Sunday ]: The Daily Dot
[ Last Sunday ]: yahoo.com
[ Last Sunday ]: Post and Courier
[ Last Sunday ]: Real Simple
[ Last Sunday ]: Forbes
[ Last Sunday ]: WAGA fox local articles
[ Last Sunday ]: Food Republic
[ Last Sunday ]: Cleveland.com
[ Last Sunday ]: National Geographic
[ Last Sunday ]: Newsweek
[ Last Sunday ]: BBC
[ Last Sunday ]: CNN
[ Last Sunday ]: Politico
Sat, July 26, 2025
[ Last Saturday ]: WITI
[ Last Saturday ]: KOAT Albuquerque
[ Last Saturday ]: AFP
[ Last Saturday ]: KRIV
[ Last Saturday ]: NPR
[ Last Saturday ]: Seeking Alpha
[ Last Saturday ]: Mashed
[ Last Saturday ]: KXAN
[ Last Saturday ]: Associated Press
[ Last Saturday ]: Men's Journal
[ Last Saturday ]: KBTX
[ Last Saturday ]: Bring Me the News
[ Last Saturday ]: wtvr
[ Last Saturday ]: BBC
[ Last Saturday ]: Patch
[ Last Saturday ]: CNN
[ Last Saturday ]: WJAX
[ Last Saturday ]: WSYR Syracuse
[ Last Saturday ]: Hartford Courant
[ Last Saturday ]: Daily Meal
[ Last Saturday ]: House Digest
[ Last Saturday ]: Dog Time
[ Last Saturday ]: Omaha.com
[ Last Saturday ]: Chowhound
[ Last Saturday ]: The Takeout
[ Last Saturday ]: nbcnews.com
[ Last Saturday ]: The Advocate
[ Last Saturday ]: The Daily News Online
[ Last Saturday ]: USA TODAY
[ Last Saturday ]: The Cool Down
[ Last Saturday ]: Penn Live
[ Last Saturday ]: Simply Recipes
[ Last Saturday ]: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[ Last Saturday ]: Forbes
[ Last Saturday ]: National Geographic
[ Last Saturday ]: 6abc News
Fri, July 25, 2025
[ Last Friday ]: The Takeout
[ Last Friday ]: WJTV Jackson
[ Last Friday ]: Patch
[ Last Friday ]: yahoo.com
[ Last Friday ]: The New Indian Express
[ Last Friday ]: Le Monde.fr
[ Last Friday ]: WMBD Peoria
[ Last Friday ]: Des Moines Register
[ Last Friday ]: fox17online
[ Last Friday ]: KRON
[ Last Friday ]: Chowhound
[ Last Friday ]: Tasting Table
[ Last Friday ]: fox6now
[ Last Friday ]: WISH-TV
[ Last Friday ]: WTAJ Altoona
[ Last Friday ]: Daily Meal
[ Last Friday ]: Detroit Free Press
[ Last Friday ]: WPIX New York City, NY
[ Last Friday ]: Capital B
[ Last Friday ]: Vols Wire
[ Last Friday ]: Parade
[ Last Friday ]: The Hill
[ Last Friday ]: The Messenger
Pa. wine producers hope unique session with legislators will put the ag back in the industry
//food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/07/29 .. lators-will-put-the-ag-back-in-the-industry.html
Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, July 29th 2025 at 3:07 GMT by Penn Live🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Several of the state's prominent wine producers, a dozen members of the legislature, and representatives from the Pa. Liquor Control Board and the Department of Agriculture held a first-of-its-kind meeting Monday at Nissley Vineyards in Lancaster County.
Pennsylvania Wine Producers Rally Legislators to Reclaim the Agricultural Roots of the Industry
In a bold move to bridge the gap between vineyards and state capitol corridors, Pennsylvania's wine producers recently hosted a unique session with legislators aimed at underscoring the deep agricultural foundations of their craft. Held amid the rolling hills of one of the state's premier wine regions, this gathering was no ordinary policy discussion. Instead, it blended hands-on vineyard tours, wine tastings, and candid conversations, all designed to remind lawmakers that winemaking isn't just about bottles on shelves—it's fundamentally an agricultural endeavor. The hope? To "put the 'ag' back in the industry," as organizers put it, by securing better support, funding, and recognition for Pennsylvania's burgeoning wine sector as a vital part of the state's farm economy.
The event, organized by the Pennsylvania Winery Association (PWA) in collaboration with local growers, took place at a picturesque winery in the heart of the state's wine country. Legislators from both sides of the aisle were invited to step away from their desks in Harrisburg and immerse themselves in the realities of grape cultivation. Participants donned boots and ventured into the fields, where they learned about soil management, pest control, and the intricate process of pruning vines—tasks that mirror those in traditional farming but are often overshadowed by the glamour of wine production. "We're not just making wine; we're farming grapes," said Michael Fiore, a veteran winemaker and PWA board member, during the session. "Every bottle starts in the dirt, and we need policies that treat us like the agricultural producers we are."
This push comes at a critical time for Pennsylvania's wine industry, which has grown significantly over the past two decades. The state now boasts over 300 wineries, producing everything from robust reds made from hybrid grapes suited to the region's climate to crisp whites that rival those from more established wine regions. Yet, despite this expansion, many producers feel marginalized in agricultural policy discussions. Unlike row crop farmers or dairy operations, wineries often fall into a regulatory gray area, sometimes classified more as manufacturers or retailers rather than true agricultural entities. This classification affects everything from tax incentives to grant eligibility, leaving wine growers at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing programs designed to support Pennsylvania's $13 billion agriculture sector.
One key issue highlighted during the session was the need for enhanced funding through the state's Farm Bill and other agricultural initiatives. Legislators were shown data illustrating how wine production contributes to rural economies, employing thousands in jobs ranging from viticulturists to hospitality staff. In 2023 alone, the industry generated an estimated $1.7 billion in economic impact, including tourism dollars that flow into small towns. "When people visit our wineries, they're not just buying wine—they're experiencing Pennsylvania agriculture," explained Sarah Troxell, owner of a family-run vineyard in the Lehigh Valley. She pointed out how events like harvest festivals and wine trails draw visitors who also patronize local farms, bakeries, and bed-and-breakfasts, creating a ripple effect that bolsters the entire agrotourism ecosystem.
The unique format of the session was intentional, designed to foster genuine understanding rather than scripted presentations. After the vineyard tours, attendees gathered for a tasting paired with educational segments on sustainable farming practices. Discussions delved into challenges like climate change, which has brought unpredictable weather patterns to Pennsylvania's vineyards—earlier springs, harsher winters, and increased pest pressures. Producers shared stories of adapting by planting resilient grape varieties, such as Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc, which thrive in the state's humid continental climate. Legislators, many of whom represent rural districts, nodded in agreement as they sipped samples, drawing parallels to issues faced by apple orchards or cornfields in their own backyards.
State Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, a Democrat from Chester County and a vocal advocate for sustainable agriculture, attended the event and praised its innovative approach. "This isn't about lobbying; it's about education," she told participants. "Seeing the vines up close reminds us that wine is agriculture, and we need to ensure our policies reflect that." On the Republican side, Sen. Elder Vogel, who chairs the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, echoed similar sentiments, noting the potential for wine to diversify Pennsylvania's farm portfolio. "We've got a real opportunity here to support an industry that's putting our state on the map while preserving farmland," he said.
Beyond immediate policy asks, the session touched on broader themes of industry evolution. Pennsylvania's wine history dates back to the 17th century, with early European settlers planting vines in the fertile soils of the Delaware Valley. Today, the state ranks among the top 10 in U.S. wine production, but it faces stiff competition from giants like California and New York. Producers argued that reemphasizing the "ag" aspect could unlock federal grants for research into disease-resistant grapes or climate-adaptive techniques, much like those available to other crop sectors. They also called for streamlined regulations on direct-to-consumer shipping, which could expand markets without undermining the state's liquor control system.
Environmental stewardship was another focal point. Many Pennsylvania wineries are adopting regenerative farming practices, such as cover cropping to prevent soil erosion and integrated pest management to reduce chemical use. During the session, a panel discussion featured experts from Penn State University's viticulture program, who explained how these methods not only produce better grapes but also contribute to biodiversity and water conservation—key concerns in a state grappling with watershed protection. "Wine isn't just a product; it's a steward of the land," said Dr. Michela Centinari, a Penn State researcher, as she demonstrated soil sampling techniques to the group.
The event wasn't without its lighter moments. Legislators tried their hand at grape picking, laughing as they navigated the rows under the guidance of seasoned farmers. Over lunch featuring locally sourced cheeses and charcuterie, conversations flowed freely, building relationships that could prove invaluable in future legislative sessions. "This is how change happens—not in committee rooms, but in the fields where the work is done," Fiore reflected.
Looking ahead, PWA leaders are optimistic that this session will lead to tangible outcomes. They're pushing for inclusion in the next state budget's agricultural allocations, potentially earmarking funds for winery infrastructure improvements like irrigation systems or cold storage. There's also talk of a "Wine as Ag" bill that would formally classify vineyards under agricultural zoning, offering protections against urban sprawl and providing tax breaks similar to those for preserved farmland.
Critics, however, caution that while the industry's agricultural ties are undeniable, it must navigate Pennsylvania's complex liquor laws, which date back to Prohibition and prioritize state-controlled sales. Some lawmakers expressed concerns about balancing support for wine with the interests of beer and spirits producers. Still, the consensus among attendees was positive, with many committing to follow-up meetings in Harrisburg.
In the end, this unique session represents a creative pivot for an industry seeking to reclaim its roots. By inviting legislators into their world, Pennsylvania's wine producers are not just advocating for policy changes—they're cultivating a deeper appreciation for the artistry and agriculture that make their wines possible. As the state continues to evolve its farm policies, events like this could ensure that wine remains a vibrant thread in the fabric of Pennsylvania's agricultural heritage. With climate challenges on the horizon and economic pressures mounting, putting the "ag" back in the industry might just be the vintage strategy needed to secure a prosperous future for all involved.
(Word count: 1,048)
Read the Full Penn Live Article at:
[ https://www.pennlive.com/food/2025/07/pa-wine-producers-hope-unique-session-with-legislators-will-put-the-ag-back-in-the-industry.html ]
Similar Food and Wine Publications
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WHTM
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: reuters.com
[ Yesterday Morning ]: fingerlakes1
[ Last Friday ]: WWLP Springfield
[ Last Wednesday ]: The Globe and Mail
