Doug Paul is a listener to the program and the owner of Three Sisters Winery.  He sent me this email.

 I wanted to share the attached commentary about the current "State of The Georgia Grape."  I wrote it so I could publish it on my website, get it picked up by other pubs like georgiawinecountry.com and to send it out to our State leaders. Hopefully, I'll reach and connect with Governor Elect Deal and Commissioner Elect Black's folks with this update and perspective. I think Georgia can greatly improve community tourism and create growth. And most importantly...create more jobs around this agritourism-attraction based industry.

Huge growth is already happening all over Georgia and the one thing missing is an official "Georgia Wine Commission" formed with the responsibility to promote, educate and fund research and growth. I propose that a new Commission be funded by a small portion of the excise taxes produced by alcohol sales. It is a huge amount of money being collected that currently goes right into the general fund.

(Just like neighboring Southern States with Wine Commissions) A Georgia Wine Commission needs to separate from the four private associations in the state and be impartial and not controlled or influenced by any personality in the Georgia wine business. Georgia wines are much more complicated than just Muscadines, Chardonnay and Cabernet. The true secret success of this Georgia business is deeper with wines being produced from not only grapes...but apples, blueberries, peaches and even honey!

I agree with Doug and want to see more of this kind of outside the box thinking in Georgia.

To read Doug's full commentary, click here.