<p><a href="mailto:stephanlj@interlochen.org"><em>By Linda Stephan</em></a></p> <p>Wine tasting would be allowed at Michigan farmers markets under bills approved Tuesday in the state Senate. The measures head next to the House.</p> <p>The change would allow only very small wineries to sell along side farm-fresh produce. It's for wineries producing up to 5,000 gallons a year, which translates to 25,000 bottles of wine.</p> <p>Senator Geoff Hansen, who sponsored the bills, says fledgling wineries have no place to market their wines.</p> <p>"That's why we have farmers markets, is to promote Michigan agriculture. And that's the way we're looking at it is that, the grapes are grown here and the product is made here," he says.</p> <p>Senators voted unanimously. But a wine industry spokesman says wine makers have mixed feelings about the plan. The trade group Wine Producers of Michigan opposed an earlier version, a bill that would have excluded only the state's largest wineries from tastings at farmers markets, those wineries that produce more than 250,000 bottles a year.</p> <p>Restricting farmers market sales to only very small businesses made the change more palatable to some, even those who would not benefit from it.</p> <p>"Many in our industry believe that you should never make any accommodation for anybody, that all wineries should conceivably be treated the same," says Eddie O'Keefe, president of Chateau Grand Traverse. "But in this case it serves its purpose. It does indeed allow a small winery access. And I'm not against it."</p> <p>Senator Geoff Hansen says he still hopes lawmakers will expand farmers market tastings to mid-sized wineries. The measure calls for an automatic two-year review. </p>
Senate Would Allow Wine Tasting At Michigan Farmers Markets
