Could Tennessee Wineries get shut down?

The STATE of TENNESSEE was sued in Federal Court over direct wine shipping rights.

The 6th Circuit Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on shipping wine. However, while reviewing Tennessee’s wine laws, the Court declared parts of the Tennessee Winery Law unconstitutional. The Court is demanding changes to the TN Grape and Winery Law.

The Tennessee Farm Wineries Association (TFWA) has introduced bills in the TN Legislature to fix the unconstitutional language in Tennessee's Grape and Wine Law per the US 6th Circuit Court ruling. House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 0944 will fix these constitutional problems and allow TN wineries to continue operating just as they have for the last 30 years.

Without this new legislation, TN wineries will probably be forced to close their doors by the Federal Court, leading to the loss of over 1600 jobs and the loss of over $140 Million of positive economic impact in TN.

PLEASE contact your TN Representative and TN Senator and ask them to CO-SPONSOR HB1549/SB0944. This is CRITICAL for the survival of the TN Wine Industry!

Also, PLEASE contact Gov. Phil Bredesen's office and ask him to speak up and support TN Law and Tennessee's response to the US 6th Circuit Court decision.

Your expediency is crucial! These bills are moving QUICKLY through the TN Legislature.

To find out who your state legislators are, go to:
www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators
or
www.votesmart.org.

Gov. Bredesen can be reached at:
Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711
Email: phil.bredesen@state.tn.us

Wine Tasting at Vinea; Saturday March 22 from 2-5pm

Merlot Brownies recipe from Tennessee Wineries

MERLOT BROWNIES

1 cup Tennessee Merlot
3/4 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup White Lily all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9-inch baking pan. In a small saucepan, simmer wine over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. In top of a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate over simmering water. Pour into wine and whisk until smooth.

In top of double boiler, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla over simmering water until very light and thick. Pour into chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in flour and ½ cup of pecans. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Tammy Algood
Pick Tennessee Products Spokesperson
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Remember how amazing treats tasted when you were eight? How sweet and perfect every cookie, every cupcake was?

“Well, those days are over,” says Tammy Algood. “Lots of things have changed since way back then, including the number of active taste buds you have and how each taste center in your mouth now experiences food. You’re likely to be a little disappointed when you try sweets from your childhood and they seem a little too much, or just don’t taste the way you remember.”

“But don’t despair,” says Algood, a food expert. “With age, you come to have a deeper, richer understanding of life. You see that things are a lot more complex than when you were young.

“In the same way, adults tend to be able to appreciate tastes that are much more complex. You can still be sent over the moon with a great dessert, just like when you were a kid— it just needs to be as complex and grownup as you.

“Merlot brownies are the perfect remedy for a palate that craves surprise along with sweet.”
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Read more at Tennessee Wineries.
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Visit the Pick Tennessee Products website.