Organizers of the Main Street Farmers Market in Washington are saving a spot for Ted and Janet Miller to display and sell their Pennsylvania-made wines.

The Millers, owners of C.T. Miller Vineyards near Avella in Hopewell, had a booth at the market last year, coordinator Steve Dettinger said.

	Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Ben, Janet and Ted Miller in their vineyard, C.T. Miller Vineyards, near Avella. Click photo for larger image.

Although the state Liquor Control Board allowed the sale of wine at the market last year, it has raised questions about the legality of selling wine at such events, Mr. Dettinger said.

State law appears to limit Pennsylvania's approximately 110 winemakers to selling their products at their own wineries, to state stores, at a limited number of year-round retail stores and at wine festivals. The exclusion of farmers markets surprises the Millers.

"What we are attempting to do is to promote Pennsylvania agriculture," Mrs. Miller said. "Our products are grown, vinted and bottled here in Avella."

State Rep. Tim Solobay has introduced legislation that would allow wine lovers to shop for Rhines and Rieslings at the same places they buy radishes and rutabagas.

"Every type of product that is grown or processed within the commonwealth has been allowed to be sold at our farmers markets, except wine, even though wine is a big part of Pennsylvania agriculture," the Canonsburg Democrat said in a statement.

His measure won easy passage in the state House on a 169-22 vote April 25. The bill was sent to the state Senate, where it won approval Wednesday from the Law and Justice Committee. It will now be sent on to the full Senate for consideration, most likely this month.

The number of wineries in Pennsylvania has almost doubled since 1998, rising from 58 to 110. The state ranks eighth in the nation in viniculture, and the Pennsylvania Wine Association calculates the total economic impact of grape cultivation and wine making at $661 million in 2005. That number includes wine sales, sale of Pennsylvania grapes elsewhere and tourism business generated by the state's wineries.

Southwestern Pennsylvania is home to more than a dozen wineries, and many of their owners said they would take advantage of an opportunity to offer their wares at farmers markets. Spokesmen for the agencies that run the seasonal markets say they would welcome the winemakers.

"Wines certainly add appropriately to the mix of products available at markets," Mr. Dettinger said. "They are local and they are farm-based."

"Direct marketing is our best channel," Mrs. Miller said. "That's why we want to get back into the farmers market."

"The market attracts health-conscious individuals who want to buy local and buy fresh," she said. "It's part of the sustainable agriculture paradigm."

She said she would not have problems with wineries in Ohio or West Virginia selling their products at farmers markets.

The Millers started planting their vines in 1999 and produced their first vintage in 2001. Their wines are available at their winery and at the Shoppes at Quail Acres in North Strabane.

"We'd love to participate at farm markets," said Tony Narcisi, a partner in La Casa Narcisi Winery in West Deer.

Outlet stores offer another option for small wineries, he said. But operating a year-round retail shop takes more time and resources than are available to many small producers, he said.

Selling wine at farmers markets would benefit both the winemaker and the rest of the vendors, he said. "When you add wine, you'll enhance the overall appeal of the market," he said.

La Casa Narcisi Winery is at 4578 Gibsonia Road, about three miles east of the intersection of routes 8 and 910.

"Wine is a unique product, and I'd be glad to try it at our markets," said Eric Van, a Pittsburgh parks and recreation supervisor who oversees the city's eight weekly farmers markets.

"I think wine could do well, depending on the pricing," he said. Shoppers at farmers markets are always on the lookout for bargains, he said.

Frank Mosura, president of the Beaver County Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, would like to see winemakers at the three outdoor markets his organization oversees in Ambridge, Beaver and Beaver Falls. "Wine is an agricultural product," he said. "But new vendors would have to wait for a slot to open up.

"We are full now, and we don't have unlimited space," he said. "When somebody retires or quits, a winemaker could have that spot."

Sharon Klay, the president of Christian W. Klay Winery in Fayette County, said she hoped the state Legislature would include some other small changes in winery regulations as they consider the issue of sales at farmers markets.

The Liquor Control Board has become more conservative in issuing special permits to allow winemakers to sell their products at events such as community festivals and craft shows, she said.

A board member of the Pennsylvania Wine Association, she said her trade organization would prefer more liberal language regarding special-event permits.

	Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Moses works the fields at the vineyards at CT Miller Vineyards near Avella. He keeps the deer, turkeys and other animals away from the grapes. Click photo for larger image.

"This would not really be a change," she said. "It would remove gray areas in interpretation and represent a return to a policy sanctioning our participation in cultural and community events."

Nick Hays, a spokesman for the Liquor Control Board, said the agency had not changed its policy on permits but was following the wording of the state liquor code.

Approval of special permits should be limited to wine and food expositions, where the focus was on educating participants about the availability, nature and quality of Pennsylvania wines, he said. Events like fairs, arts festivals, flea markets and farmers' markets do not qualify for permits under current law, he said.

Mrs. Klay was not convinced.

Wineries, she said, combine elements of the state's two largest industries, agriculture and tourism.

"It makes sense for us to be at farmers markets and at festivals," Mrs. Klay said. "We can entertain and we can educate people about wine drinking and about different types of wine."

Christian W. Klay Winery, near the village of Chalk Hill in Wharton, is marking its 10th anniversary this year.

John Ricchuito, owner of newly opened Winfield Winery, said he wanted to see more details about the cost of permits and sales conditions before committing himself to participating in farmers markets.

Like Mrs. Klay, he said he would like to see clearer language allowing winemakers to take part in community events.

Winfield Winery opened in July near Cabot in Winfield..

Mr. Dettinger said he hoped action on Mr. Solobay's measure would come this summer, along with the return of a local winemaker to the Main Street Farmers Market.

"The Millers operated an attractive booth," he said. "Their wines were popular, and they expanded the range of agricultural products we could offer shoppers. That's why we're going to keep that spot open for them."