Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Winery Association Kick Off Pennsylvania Wine Month

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- October is Pennsylvania Wine Month, and officials from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and Department of Agriculture today joined with the Pennsylvania Winery Association and a number of member wineries to kick off activities celebrating Pennsylvania wines and wineries.

"The PLCB is proud to support Pennsylvania winemakers, and we've worked with these local businesses over the years to build a retail relationship we continue to cultivate and grow," PLCB Chairman Tim Holden said in welcoming guests to the Pennsylvania Wine Month Celebration at the grand re-opening ceremony of the Fine Wine & Good Spirits Store in Lemoyne, Cumberland County. "From the shores of Lake Erie to the edge of the Delaware River, wineries make up an important part of the life and the economy of the commonwealth."

In 2014, Fine Wine & Good Spirits stocked 134 different Pennsylvania wines, generating nearly $5.5 million in sales from these stores alone. These figures do not account for Pennsylvania wine sold at local wineries, at festivals, or at restaurants that buy directly from the wineries.

"We are excited to have Pennsylvania wines highlighted in Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores throughout the state for Pennsylvania Wine month this October," said Pennsylvania Winery Association President Jamie Williams. "What better way to celebrate this year's harvest than to enjoy your locally grown and crafted wines?"

In celebration of Pennsylvania Wine Month, Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores across the state will feature specialized signage, product displays, and tastings for consumers at least 21 years old, all drawing attention to Pennsylvania wines.

"Our remodeled stores, like the one here in Lemoyne, also prominently feature 'Made in Pennsylvania' sections because we want to make it easier for our customers to find Pennsylvania products," said PLCB Member Mike Negra. "We believe that featuring local products, during Pennsylvania Wine Month and all year long, will help boost the economy of the commonwealth."

At today's event in Lemoyne, 16 different Pennsylvania wines – including varieties ranging from from spiced apple wines and an ice wine to chambourcins and a merlot – were offered for tasting by four Pennsylvania wineries: Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery of Breinigsville, Lehigh County; Mazza Vineyards of North East, Erie County; Nissley Winery of Bainbridge, Lancaster County; and Chaddsford Winery of Chadds Ford, Chester County.

Consumers interested in Pennsylvania wine tastings at a local Fine Wine & Good Spirits Store are encouraged to call their local Premium Collection Store for dates and times.

The Pennsylvania Winery Association, a trade association representing more than 120 member wineries and advocating on behalf of the state's more than 200 wineries and the growing multi-billion dollar wine industry, is also making available at select Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores a touring guide featuring a list of Pennsylvania wineries and a map.

Dozens of events celebrating Pennsylvania wines and wineries will be held across the commonwealth this month, including farm and vineyard tours; festivals featuring music and celebrations of the fall harvest; tasting and food pairing opportunities; and even activities pairing Pennsylvania wine with yoga and bicycling. More information about these activities is available at the Pennsylvania Winery Association website, www.pennsylvaniawine.com.

In 2013, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board partnered with the Pennsylvania Winery Association and the Department of Agriculture to promote PA Preferred™ wines, in an effort to further support Pennsylvania wineries and give consumers more options to buy local.

PA Preferred™ is a public-private partnership between the Department of Agriculture and partners throughout the commonwealth encouraging Pennsylvanians to support neighbors, friends and family by purchasing products made in Pennsylvania.

"When we buy local, we support local economies throughout the commonwealth," said PDA Deputy Secretary for Market and Economic Development Hannah Smith-Brubaker. "Through the state's PA Preferred™ program we are able to showcase all that Pennsylvania has to offer, connecting even more residents with products and options made and grown right here in our state. We are proud to promote local options and continue to grow our local communities." 

PA Preferred™ is the official state branding program used to identify locally-sourced agricultural products made and grown in Pennsylvania. The PA Preferred™ program was introduced in 2004 and became law in 2011. The program's members are licensees, meaning that they are licensed to use the program's registered logo: a blue keystone with a gold checkmark. Products bearing the logo have been grown, harvested and, if applicable, processed in Pennsylvania. Research has shown that 93 percent of Pennsylvanians want to buy and consume local products. The PA Preferred program serves both producers and consumers by identifying them.

PA Preferred™ licensees are producers of all sizes, with products ranging from pork to pickles, beef to beer, milk to mushrooms, eggs to aquaculture, artisan cheeses to farmstead ice cream, wool to alpaca fiber and everything in between. PA Preferred also licenses restaurants and food service operations that are giving priority to Pennsylvania-sourced product. For more information about the PA Preferred program, visit http://www.papreferred.com/.

About:

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol and also operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide. Taxes and store profits are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund. Since its inception, the PLCB has contributed nearly $14 billion to the Pennsylvania Treasury. For more information about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, visit www.lcb.state.pa.us.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture encourages, protects, and promotes agriculture and related industries throughout the commonwealth while providing consumer protection through inspection services that impact the health and financial security of Pennsylvania's citizens. For more information, visit www.agriculture.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Elizabeth Brassell, PLCB, 717.919.1905
Brandi Hunter-Davenport, Agriculture, 717.787.5085
Jennifer Eckinger, Pennsylvania Winery Association, 717.234.1844

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board