Are you licensed to sell?

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bein_bein

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Just wondering if there are any forum members that are licensed in your respective state as a small winemaker to sell your wine? My brother and I are looking into this and maybe starting a small winery. We have some party/specialty stores that will sell locally produced wines as well as looking into some other avenues for promoting our wines if we pull the trigger on this idea. What pros and cons do you feel we would be facing with this endeavor??
 
I'm not licensed in my state but am a very active member in the IGGVA (Il. Grape Growers and Vintners Assoc.). Try to join your states winemakers assoc. if at all possible. Every meeting,conference, or seminar I've ever been to here has always had someone there trying to start up a winery. And at every one of the meetings I've always heard established wineries giving the start-up wineries good advice and telling them the problems and pitfalls to look for with the state and federal government so they can get the business started with as few problems as possible. Annual seminars from the different states growers/vintners assoc. will have some sessions on start-ups, understanding licensing and permits, how to fill out report forms etc. Oh and one more thing they also usually have free tastings in there some where too! :d :)
 
I'm working on the process now. Just got approval my local zoning board to establish a small winery. Wanted to do this first, since it was critical to everything else (federal & state approvals) that now have to be done.
 
For those of you who just noticed AL^, he is a friend of mine who just came over here to our site.I asked him over here to help us out, especially with the grape growing section of this site as we are lacking a little in this area. He and another memeber have great vineyards and make equisite wines from those vineyards that I have tried. Finding memebers that have this knowledge is priceless cause its very hard to get these people to get on forums and speak their knowledge due to lack of time mostly. They usually have their 9-5 jobs still and then they have to take care of their crops, make the wine and all the stuff that we do but in much larger quantity to try and build up an inventory to go commercial. I for one thatnk anyone who gives us their time to help out this site and contribute!
 
Well I for one welcome Al then, hopefully as he finds time he will go through the old posts in the Grapes and Vineyards forum and add his opinions/advice!
 
thanks for the over the top comment Wade/mostly OVER rcomplimentary....i mostly think of myself like everyone here does....always something new to learn....and always there is someone smarter or more experienced than i am.....

it takes time to become aquainted w where all the topics are...so juts gonna go w the flow as posts are made...

for thse that dont know..i am a northeast cold season grape guy by force....but have made wine from italian and CA grapes....thats my background

by no means an expert in anything....just another bloke following his passion and where ever it leads
 
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Al, it is an honor and a pleasure to have you here. There are many grape growers and others that will benefit from your presence here. I have always enjoyed reading your posts and following your journey.
:try
 

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