BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -
They're rows and rows of what will soon be transformed into wine, bottled up and sold to the public. Morgan Creek Vineyard in Harpersville is just one of 14 wineries in the state.
Small businesses like these depend on distributors to take the product outside of the vineyard and inside your local store. But oftentimes, it's easier said than done.
"They're so small that it's not in a distributors. It's not profitable for a distributor to pick up their wines and distribute," said Charles Brammer. His family owns Morgan Creek Vineyard.
Luckily, Charles is a distributor and his father owns the vineyard. But for the remaining 13 wineries they have to hope they're product will be picked up by a distributor. Or the law is changed.
Representative Becky Nordren is sponsoring a bill that would allow wineries to distribute up to 100,000 gallons of their own wine. "We just want to give them a tool of vehicle to these small wineries to grow," said Nordgren. But with the bill comes opposition. Mostly, Charles says comes from beer wholesalers.
"At the end of the day if we get distribution then the little breweries will want self distribution and then they're worried about the big breweries getting bypassed in delivering directly to Costco or Wal-Mart."
Two bills were proposed in the legislature. The house bill died Wednesday. The senate bill passed and is awaiting a calendar date. Even this bill doesn't make it this time around, Nordgren says she's not giving up.
The Alabama Wineries Association is calling for a boycott on companies opposed to the legislation.
That includes Pabst, Heineken, Amstel, Budweiser, and Miller-Coors.
Copyright 2012 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Morgan Creek Vineyard in Harpersville. Source: reporter Vanessa Araiza
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