Should Long Island wineries start getting ready to call Tim Bishop the Nelson Mandela of East End wine?
The grueling process of getting approval for labels that contain health warnings, product descriptions and geographical origins that has long bogged down wineries on the North Fork is being made easier, according to an announcement made by Congressman Bishop last week.
Three wineries voiced complaints to Bishop in a Long Island Wine Council meeting held in May, telling Bishop that attempts to put out new products were meeting unnecessary delays that the vineyards claimed were stunting business. It seems Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyards, Sannino Bello Vita Vineyards and Waters Crest Winery have been heard. All three have had their products approved for sale after Bishop urged the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau to expedite approval of labels. Wine, Bishop believes, is a vital part of East End and North Fork economy, and easier approval should make vineyard operation a good deal smoother across Long Island Wine Country.
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As contributing editor to the wine trade publication Wines & Vines, I published two articles last week at winesandvines.com regarding the TTB and the challenges it faces due to reduced budget and staff and ever increasing demand for its services. I spoke with TTB’s congressional liaison Tom Hogue, who said specifically that all applications for label approvals are handled on a first-come-first-served basis. Given that there are more than 6,000 wineries spread across every state in the union, and each area is represented in congress, it seems unlikely that Congressman Bishop actually accelerated the approval process for his constituents.