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Regan Meador, Southold Farm + Cellar: We Are Closed, But Not Finished.

sfc

Editor’s note: The following was written by Regan Meador, co-owner and winemaker at Southold Farm + Cellar, a true family-run small business that does not deserve the trouble the town and one over-zealous neighbor are causing his family. This probably won’t be the last post I write about this. More soon. As of July 9th, 2015 we have been asked by the Town of Southold to cease all operations or face fines and/or jail time. We are heartbroken, to say the least. Prior to purchasing the property in 2012 we had sought guidance with the town and have been completely…

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The Spirits of Volunteerism

volunteer

Early last month a story broke in California about a small winery that had been subject to hefty fines levied by state labor authorities for the use of willing volunteers, and then fined again during their process to try and mitigate the unintended wrong. This has prompted conversations across the industry and across the country as wineries and their advocates look to their own state laws to see what kind of risks they might be exposed to. Hans Walter-Peterson in the Finger Lakes has mentioned the situation in recent issues of the Finger Lakes Vineyard Update newsletter, and we are recently…

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Should the Long Island Wine Industry Police Itself More Effectively?

Is this what a winery is supposed to be?

As you may have seen earlier this week, the New York State Liquor Authority revoked Vineyard 48’s liquor license. It’s hard to know exactly what happens next, but in the meantime, wineries on Long Island and beyond are now free to openly discuss a difficult subject — an industry and community policing itself. It’s rare for wineries to speak in support of one other when speaking to power — being beholden to so many regulatory agencies, banks and the public can make a winery owner fearful on many levels. It is rarer still for them to openly criticize one another’s…

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New Proposal Could Allow Wine to be Shipped Through U.S. Mail

It’s not easy to earn unanimous approval of a major policy change in the wine industry, but the issue of alcohol mail restrictions seems to have achieved exactly that. Senator Chuck Schumer is proposing to end the ban that prevents the United States Postal Service from shipping wine, beer, and spirits. After speaking to dozens of industry professionals, the New York Cork Report has yet to find one who disagrees with the proposal. “It would be huge for our industry,” said Scott Osborn, owner of Fox Run Vineyards. “Having the postal service as another provider for our shipping will hopefully…

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