Free the Wineries

Free the Wineries Duplicate licensing & overregulation of wineries by the Food Division of the Ohio Dept of Agriculture of Liquor Control as well as for sanitation.

The July of 2009 Ohio budget bill (3200 pages) contained a section for the Ohio Department of Agriculture (Food Safety Division) to sell licenses and do inspections (including wineries). We have been seeking to either exempt wineries from this or provide a reasonable modification. Wineries have been regulated by the Ohio Division of Liquor Control without incident in the past. Many other states ex

empt at least wineries from food safety regulation. Wine is pretty much a palatable disinfectant and has near nil chance of having any food safety issues without any adulteration on purpose. We are well regulated for that by the Federal ATT&TB (Alcohol To***co Tax & Trade Bureau formerly BATF) and the Ohio Div. This is a prime example of duplicate and unnecessary regulation that needs to be remedied. The food safety regulation goes way beyond what is needed for wineries and puts a needless burden on small wineries as well as having regulations in effect that could possibly be a danger to the artisan production of wine.

Article on cellaring either above or below ground. Indicates that same grapes made in to wine made in different cellars ...
05/26/2026

Article on cellaring either above or below ground. Indicates that same grapes made in to wine made in different cellars will be different because of the microbial difference in the cellars. Wine is not like food production and should never follow the same rules or environment requirements.

Wine has traditionally been made and aged in dark underground caves, but are cellars really better for the finished wine? Read the latest wine news & opinion on wine-searcher

2000 year old wine stored in glass jar with cremated remains and other items and the wine is not toxic! Our government i...
04/27/2026

2000 year old wine stored in glass jar with cremated remains and other items and the wine is not toxic! Our government in its wisdom believes wine making is a hazardous food processing activity and regulates it as such. Excessive regulation in nonsensical areas is ridiculous.

Beneath an ordinary home, a forgotten Roman tomb held more than just history. Among its contents was a clue tied to ancient wine, preserved in a way that defies expectations.

This information in article is more important than any food safety rules. Often cleaning regimens and sources can ruin w...
04/02/2026

This information in article is more important than any food safety rules. Often cleaning regimens and sources can ruin wine with halo taint. Also, not mentioned are more halogen elements Fluorine and Iodine, which can be in water or sanitizing solutions. Need to treat winemaking different than any food product, not the same by any stretch.

Need a map, vintage report or just the basics of getting the most out of your wine glass? It’s all here, and much more.

Address

Reynoldsburg, OH

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Free the Wineries posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share