North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kieran and/or Donna" <holycow@frontiernet.net>]

I sent in my personalized response to my senators and representative.  We live in a dry county, we work in another county in a dry town.  The nearest place to buy wine is 20 miles from us.  The fact that we make our own is immaterial, as there are so many wannabes, including a few small wineries in our part of Tennessee... some of them in counties where their product can't be sold, LOL.  What I notice is that in "dry" counties, that beer is the ONLY alcoholic beverage that can be bought.  It sounds to me like the beer wholesalers that introduced the bill don't want competition.  And what teeny weeny competition it is.  How many people do you know personally who order wine through the mail, as opposed to how many who guzzle beer by the six pack?  Beer, what kind of fruit is that made from?  Compared to wine, made from just about any kind of fruit, including rhubarb.  And as far as I can tell, this bill is about fruit growers and processors, not about Rep or Dem style politics.  And for all we know, some of us starry eyed tree planters may find that a small winery down the road is the easiest way to unload all that fruit that our trees might be producing some day when we are old and wondering what to do with it all.  It is a fate to be wished for, but alas, perhaps you failed to sign that petition all those years ago because it didn't matter to you then.  Don't we all of us on this list have that same yearning to be out in some quiet little valley all our own, producing some product from our lovely trees or vines that the public will rave over and recommend to all their friends?   We may not wish it every day, just sometimes when life gets too hectic.  But for those few brave souls who have taken the plunge, maybe people just a bit more introverted or inspired or braver, or a bit more fed up with the rat race than the rest of us, why not support them when they are being attacked by big business?   If there were just one of our Tennessee small winery owners on this group and you all had corresponded with them for years, you'd jump to help them out.         Donna