Standing up for Oregon's wineries (and more than a few jobs)
Oregon is world-famous for the hundreds of small craft breweries, cideries, and wineries in our state. In addition to making great beer, cider, and wine, these industries support nearly 50,000 Oregon jobs.
But when the federal government tried to make wine growlers illegal, Senator Wyden listened to local wineries and wine shops -- and stood up for Oregon's small businesses.
That threw a wrench into what has become a quick trend -- expanding the beer growler fad into local pinots and rieslings. Suddenly, store and restaurant owners were faced with new fees and regulations they hadn’t counted on...
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., spearheaded a united effort among the Oregon delegation.
And it worked:
Wine growlers are back in business in Oregon.
On Friday, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced that the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau had backed off a previous ruling that selling wine in refillable containers was illegal unless a business had a bottling license.
"I saw this as an example where a federal agency simply has not kept up with the times and is out of touch," Wyden said at a news conference held in a Southeast Portland wine shop.
Oregon wine drinkers can continue to enjoy the convenience of wine growlers. Local wineries and grape farmers can expand their businesses.
And everyone wins.
