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DC Updates: TTB, Tariffs, and Tourism
How many times have you appreciated, praised, and publicly supported regulators?
That’s exactly what WineAmerica just did as part of a coalition of trade associations representing the alcohol beverage sector, including our colleagues at Wine Institute and others representing beer, spirits and the wholesale areas. Together, beer, wine and spirits contribute $935 annually to the US economy.
Sometimes we disagree, but not on the importance and professionalism of the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). From licensing to label approvals and trade issues, TTB’s coordinated federal regulation promotes efficiency and consistency compared with the possibility of 50 different systems created by the states. While it’s true that the states still regulate some aspects, such as direct-to-consumer shipping, the federal framework is vital in preventing total chaos.
Our coalition wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking that he “ensure that TTB continues to operate as a separate Bureau under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Treasury with adequate resources and staffing.” The request reflects concerns about major staffing and other cutbacks at government agencies being pursued by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
WineAmerica has historically had a close working relationship with TTB, always advocating for sufficient funding, and we are hoping to again meet with their leadership in a month during our annual DC Fly-In—if they’re still there.
Another vital coalition is “Toasts Not Tariffs”, which recently issued a statement explaining the damage that widespread tariffs will do to the American wine, beer, and spirits sectors, along with the many other businesses that depend on them. The statement is in today’s “Bonus Info” section at the end, and is an example of the information that WineAmerica members receive on a weekly basis. (NEWSFLASH: After imposing worldwide tariffs on “Liberation Day” in April, causing a stock market crash, on Wednesday President Trump paused them for 90 days, spurring a major market rally, which quickly reversed on Thursday when reality set back in. This combination of volatility and uncertainty is another reason WineAmerica opposes tariffs under any Administration.
Meanwhile, as expected due to the tariff war and other factors, Canadian tourism to New York State in February was down—by 21%---and is expected to get worse in the coming months. While New York and other border states across the country will be hit hardest, the effects are expected to be felt in many other places far away, like California, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas. Given the huge economic “multiplier effect” of tourism, this could bring major negative consequences.
DtC Shipping Survey: Please Respond
Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank has for years provided our industry with valuable information based on surveys of industry members
It’s now time for the annual Direct-to-Consumer survey to see where that vital marketing channel has been and where it’s going. Any survey is only as good as its respondents, and I urge you to participate, especially so we can get a more robust national picture. Here’s all the information you need.
The SVB’s annual Direct-to-Consumer survey is now open To help you prepare, we’ve included this PDF Guide with a preview of the questions.
The SVB Annual Direct to Consumer Survey is the grandaddy of surveys. The results are anticipated and used by the entire wine business. Those constituents completing the survey will not only contribute to our understanding of critical wine industry issues and trends, but they will also receive a comprehensive set of survey results, the new Direct-to-Consumer Report, and as an innovative incentive, we will publish a guide to industry solutions – only for respondents, combining and reporting all the various ways wineries are dealing with this difficult market.
The survey is open now through March 24th.
Rich Smith Award of Excellence Presented to Emily Hodson of Virginia
The ninth annual Rich Smith Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the American grape and wine industry was presented today to Emily Hodson, the winemaker at Veritas Vineyards and Winery, a co-owner of Flying Fox Vineyards and Winery, and an active leader in the Virginia wine industry.
Members of the Smith family and sponsoring organizations present the Rich Smith award to Emily Hodson (third from left).
The prestigious award annually reflects the spirit and accomplishments of the late Richard (Rich) Smith, founder of Valley Farm Management and Smith Family Wines in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands wine region in Monterey County. Rich was first and foremost a family man, but also a successful grape grower and winery owner, and a highly respected colleague known for the combination of passion, commitment and collaboration which helped advance the American grape and wine industry.
Ever since Rich passed away in December 2015, three organizations—WineAmerica, National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) and Winegrape Growers of America (WGA)—have collaborated with Rich’s family to present this annual award since Rich had been a loyal member of all three groups. The 2025 award was presented at WGA’s annual Leadership Luncheon during the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento
“We are honored to have Emily receive the 2025 Rich Smith Award,” said Jason Smith on behalf of Rich’s wife Claudia and daughter Kacy. “Her love of science, her drive and passion for the Virginia wine industry are at the core of what Rich did throughout his career. Emily is the perfect addition to the growing list of accomplished winners of the award. Congrats, Emily!”
Emily learned the art of winemaking from her father and the science from Virginia Tech, where she earned a degree in enology under the guidance of Dr. Bruce Zoecklein. She learned about the importance of vineyards in the equation from her uncle. In addition to her winemaking duties at Veritas and Flying Fox, she produces wine for several other wineries under custom crush arrangements. Her wines have won numerous awards in major competitions, helping to put Virginia on the map as a serious wine region.
When Dr. Zoecklein retired as the state enologist, Emily was part of the creation of the Virginia Winemakers Research Exchange, which gives local winemakers access to regional production-scale research facilities. They conduct hundreds of educational sessions and winemaker research projects under the guidance of a research enologist, giving scientific discipline to the process. It has resulted in Charlottesville, VA, and the Monticello AVA receiving the 2023 Wine Region of the Year at Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Annual Wine Star Awards.
Emily also led the charge, starting in 2021 (with her colleague Ben Jordan), to execute the VWB’s vision to develop winegrape varieties that are resistant to downy mildew. (Grape pathologists commonly refer to Virginia as Ground Zero for downy mildew, as it has the ideal moist, temperate environment for it to spread.) The VWB set aside $1 million for the first phase of the project, and Emily figured out who to talk to get it off the ground. Virginia recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with USDA-ARS and brought on a highly qualified grape breeder—Dr. Surya Sapkota, an alum of the NGRA-initiated VitisGen project focused on powdery mildew resistance—to begin this work and take Virginia into a more sustainable future. Emily remains a key industry advisor on the program.
Due to her many contributions, Emily was honored as the Virginia Wine Person of the Year in 2017. She also represents the Southeast Region of the U.S. on the NGRA Board of Directors, and is the organization’s Vice Chair.
“Emily’s commitment to her family and the broader wine community reflect qualities which make Rich Smith’s legacy so powerful,” said Jim Trezise, President of WineAmerica “While always attentive to their own businesses, Rich and Emily are natural-born collaborators working to make the common good even better.”
“Emily is a rare leader who leverages science as a means to advance the industry,” said Donnell Brown, President of NGRA. “Her brainchild, the Winemakers Research Exchange, has given her fellow Virginia winemakers a launchpad for experimentation and innovation. With it, they’ve lifted the state to the status of wine region to watch—and invest in—even by vintners in Bordeaux, as we saw this past summer. And the grapevine breeding work she spearheaded will help sustain the state’s wine industry long into the future. Emily’s legacy is already taking shape, right before our eyes.”
Representing the Winegrape Growers of America, Colleen Frei added, “Emily’s engagement with others to foster relationships across the industry in support of advancement through research and collaborative problem solving is tremendous. Her steadfast efforts to further the grape and wine community align with Rich Smith’s amazing legacy.”
The actual Rich Smith Award is a solid bronze medallion depicting Rich holding a glass of wine in a vineyard mounted on a large wooden back, emblazoned with the words, “Rich Smith Award of Excellence,” plus “Passion, Commitment, Collaboration” and the name of the recipient.
Prior recipients, starting in 2017, were: John Martini, Anthony Road Wine Company, Finger Lakes, New York; Pete Downs, Family Winemakers of California; Jerry Lohr, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Paso Robles, California; Jim Trezise, WineAmerica, Washington, DC; Donniella (Donnie) Winchell, Ohio Wine Producers Association; Tom Davenport of National Grape Cooperative; Marty Clubb, L’Ecole No 41, Walla Walla, Washington; and Nick Dokoozlian, GALLO.
Rich Smith Award of Excellence Emily Hodson Veritas Vineyards and Winery
DC Updates: New Year, New Government, New EIS
Now that the holidays are over, Washington is coming alive with official rituals such as the swearing in of Congress today, the election of a Speaker (maybe), then certification of the presidential electoral votes in Congress on Monday (maybe), followed by the Inauguration two weeks later on January 20. And the President-elect has promised a flurry of activity on “Day 1”---including withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization—followed by lots of Senate hearings focused on his various Cabinet picks.
Congress will also be busy filling committee assignments, and getting to work on an ambitious agenda at a time when House Republicans have an even slimmer majority than last year. Some Washington insiders predict that any major presidential initiatives will need to be passed in the next two years, after which there may well be divided political power following the midterm elections. Even before then, due to the politically divided GOP caucus, it’s likely that at least some Democrat votes will be needed to pass key legislation.
Yesterday was the start of a new WineAmerica-sponsored National Economic Impact Study of the Wine Industry by John Duhnam & Associates, a leading economic research firm which conducted similar studies in 2017 and 2022, with wine’s impact totaling $220 billion and $276 billion respectively. The detailed study not only measures national impact, but also for each of the 50 states. Wine’s economic impact is vital for public officials to know so they can help create a business climate friendly to our industry. The study should be done, and on our website, in the spring. Until then, check out the 2022 study here.
We thank and applaud the creative collaborators who conceived, orchestrated and executed Come Over October — top wine communicators Karen MacNeil, Kimberly Charles and Gino Colangelo — and wanted to get their thoughts on the experience…and on what’s next.
How 'Come Over October' Brought the Wine World Together (WineAmerica)
Come Over October (COO) sprung from a light bulb moment in January 2024, when noted author & wine writer Karen MacNeil was walking her dog and
Come Over October COO Karen MacNeil Kimberly Charles Gino Colangelo
Policy Perspectives: DC Updates
Election Results: Trump 47
After many months of campaigning, vitriol, and intrigue, the 2024 election is over, and Donald Trump will be the second person in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms as President. His win was decisive in the Electoral College and the popular vote reflecting several major shifts among the American electorate.
The Senate also flipped from Democratic to Republican control, with a couple of seats still to be called. Control of the House is also still uncertain, as votes are still being counted in California, but it looks like it could go either way, meaning either a total sweep for Republicans or a divided government if the Democrats prevail.
It’s still too early to assess what all this will mean for the wine industry. Still, we know some key issues will be on the table, including the Farm Bill, regulatory changes, the dietary guidelines, the possibility of tariffs, and others. Once the key players in the Administration are in place, predicting directions and outcomes will be more feasible.
It’s October: Come on Over!
The Come Over October celebration is roaring ahead, with wineries, wine stores, restaurants, and consumers celebrating wine as the beverage that brings us together.
Wineries throughout the country are celebrating COO in different ways. Here in the fabulous Finger Lakes, Fox Run Vineyards is hosting Food & Wine Experiences and Harvest Dinners. The former includes tours of the vineyard and winery, followed by a special luncheon in the barrel room featuring local foods with Fox Run wines.
The October Harvest Dinners are five-course feasts featuring local products whenever possible, paired with appropriate wines, and described by the chefs and winemakers who put it all together. The pairings:
–Steamed Steelhead Trout Wonton with 2022 Sur Lie Chardonnay
–Shellfish Paella with 2023 Semi-Dry Riesling
–Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Toasted Coconut Salad with 2021 Doyle Family Unoaked Chardonnay
–Bostrom Farms “Bone-In” Pork Ribeye with 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon
–Pumpkin & White Chocolate Macaron, Apple Crisp Macaron, Sheldrake Moon Cheese & Geneva Farms Plums with Fine Old Tawny Port
YUM! Fox Run also reminds its customers to send their own photos of their October get-togethers so they can be posted on the winery’s website and social media.
They also remind everyone: “What you find when you share a bottle of wine with good company is that dinner gets a little longer, conversations become more open, laughter becomes a little louder, and connecting grows a little deeper.” Yes indeed. Cheers!
More details about Come Over October are available here.
(The information in this email is being furnished to you as an educational service of WineAmerica, and the views and opinions expressed in the material are those of the authors of the information and not necessarily those of WineAmerica or any member of WineAmerica.)
Wine Stars: Jason, Tom, and Maya
The “Magic of Wine" is many things–farming, art & science, poetry, toasts, tastes, friendship, and much else—but first and foremost, it’s the people behind all those things and the passion they bring. “The product is a pleasure, but the people are the treasure.”
We at WineAmerica are proud that the 2024 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards nominees include three people or wineries on our Board of Directors.
Jason Haas, nominated for Person of the Year, is a Partner and General Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, CA. He is well-known and widely respected for combatting inequity and implementing sustainability both in and beyond the vineyard. WineAmerica’s annual fall meeting in November will be held in Paso Robles and will include a special tour of the vineyard as an example of regenerative viticulture. Jason has been an active member of our Board for the past two years.
The Vineyards at Dodon in Davidsonville, MD, is co-owned by Dr. Tom Croghan,, the newest member of our Board, and his wife Polly Pittman. Their farm is famous for its commitment to sustainability: enhancing the environment, restoring ecosystems, regenerating soil, removing atmospheric carbon dioxide, and reducing chemical, plastic, and nutrient pollution. The operation includes a 17-acre vineyard and vertically integrated winery on a 555-acre farm on the western shore of the uplands of the Chesapeake Bay.
Early Mountain Winery in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains is also represented on our Board by General Manager Dave Kostelnik, another relatively new member. Winemaker and Viticulturist Maya Hood White, a 10-year veteran at Early Mountain, is one of the nominees for Winemaker of the Year due to her minimal intervention techniques and other innovative measures. Her single-varietal Chardonnay, Tannat, and Petit Manseng are particularly popular.
Congratulations to the nominees; fingers crossed, they’ll be the ultimate winners.
For more things that make wine special, visit The Magic of Wine section of our website.
Come Over October: Bipartisan Cheers!
Come Over October, approaching fast, will be a national celebration of wine as the beverage that brings us together—as family and friends, in homes and restaurants, for occasions large and small, or just hanging out.
The kickoff event will occur in Congress on Wednesday, September 25, at a bipartisan wine reception co-hosted by WineAmerica, the national association of American wineries in Washington, DC. WineAmerica has previously hosted receptions in conjunction with its legislative fly-ins each spring, but this is an even better opportunity to bring a divided Congress together over a glass of wine, highlighting the spirit of Come Over October.
WineAmerica’s mission involves federal public policy advocacy to protect and enhance the business climate for wine. While Michael Kaiser engages in the normal process of position papers, coalitions, and legislative meetings, we in the wine industry have a unique opportunity to tastefully remind legislators that wine is produced in all 50 states, bringing many economic benefits across the country. That’s the magic of Congressional Wine Receptions.
The Congressional Wine Caucus (CWC), co-chaired by Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), is encouraging its many members to attend the tasting, which will include wines from all 50 states. They will also be part of a press conference preceding the event and featuring wine author Karen MacNeil, Napa-based author of The Wine Bible who initiated the idea behind the Come Over October celebration. WineAmerica Vice President Tara Good, who suggested this kickoff tasting and is organizing it, will also take part.
More details are available here.
Policy Perspectives: Campaign Chaos
The past two weeks have been some of the most tumultuous and consequential in American presidential history.
About a week after President Biden turned in a stunningly poor debate performance, former President Trump was nearly assassinated at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, further boosting his popularity and polling lead over Biden. Then, this past Sunday night, President Biden abruptly announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, which quickly led to Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. And she raised a record $80 million in 24 hours.
The character of the race also changed. Whereas Mr. Biden, at 81, had been the oldest presidential candidate in history, now it’s Mr. Trump, just three years younger at 78, whose new opponent is just 59, so the age advantage has flipped. So has the Democratic ticket, from Biden-Harris to Harris-Somebody Else who may be able to recapture some votes from swing states 100 days from now.
For the American wine industry, the implications are murky, but we do know that at least VP Harris drinks wine, while the others do not. No matter which party wins the White House, there will be at least a major pause in all regulatory activity, and possibly a complete overhaul starting from scratch.
Meanwhile, Congress just left a week earlier than planned for its August recess, which means nothing will get done for the next six weeks despite some pressing matters like appropriations. They’ll come back in September and hopefully will avoid a government shutdown at the end of that month before recessing again to campaign for reelection.
Whatever happens, WineAmerica is getting prepared to educate a new Administration and Congress about the economic importance of the wine industry. We have again commissioned John Dunham & Associations, a top economics research firm, to assess the economic impact of wine in 2025. In 2017 it was $220 billion, then up 25% to $276 billion in 2022—despite the onset of Covid during that period.
Like the past two studies, this one will include both national data, plus detailed data for all 50 states, in terms of number of wine producers, jobs, wages, tourism visits, tourism expenditures, taxes on all levels, and other metrics.
Wine is the ultimate value-added product, and a true economic engine. Produced in all 50 states, it’s also the all-American art form.
About
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The mission of WineAmerica is to encourage the dynamic growth and development of American wineries and winegrowing through the advancement and advocacy of sound public policy.
WineAmerica was founded in 1978 as the Association of American Vintners, a trade association of wineries with membership based in the eastern U.S. By 1991, the association had expanded and merged with the National Vintners Association forming the American Vintners Association. The association was renamed WineAmerica in 2003 to reflect its national role.
With more than 600 members, WineAmerica serves the interests of wineries in all 50 states by leveraging its formidable grassroots lobbying strength to benefit the entire industry.
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| Title | Name | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director of Public Affairs | Michael Kaiser | mkaiser@wineamerica.org | 202-223-5172 | |
| Director of Operations | Tara Good | tgood@wineamerica.org | 202-223-5175 |
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