Legality of winemaking in TN
 

My ex-husband is trying to come up with reasons to take me back to court
over custody . . . his only "real" complaint that I am concerned with is
that he is bringing up the fact that I make my own wine. Here in the South
women shouldn't be drinking, much less making it in their washroom!!! I
don't sell. I drink it myself and occasionally share some with family
members when they visit. He's making it sound like I am brewing moonshine
in the basement for goodness sake and these small town good ole boys may not
know the legalities of home winemaking right off the top of their heads, so
I would like to be prepared. Can anyone point me to a website or other
source where I can really get educated on the laws of homebrewing? Thanks
in advance. Sara

Legality of winemaking in TN
 

Home winemaking was the reason that some wine industry survived prohibition.

Rob L
"Tom S" > wrote in message
om...
>
> "sara1" > wrote in message ...
> > My ex-husband is trying to come up with reasons to take me back to court
> > over custody . . . his only "real" complaint that I am concerned with is
> > that he is bringing up the fact that I make my own wine. Here in the
> South
> > women shouldn't be drinking, much less making it in their washroom!!!
>
> Pardon my French, but your ex sounds like a bunghole!
>
> I'm sure the atf.gov site has the law spelled out in great detail, but it
> amounts to this:
>
> A maximum of 100 gallons of wine or beer per year, per adult resident (to
a
> maximum of 200 gallons total) may be produced at home for consumption on
the
> home premises. There is no tax on this production. You are not permitted
> to distill the product.
>
> This law was in effect even during prohibition, and remains so today -
even
> in dry states. Needless to say, the sale of wine grapes was very healthy
in
> those days.
>
> Tom S
>
>

Legality of winemaking in TN
 

As everyone has said, you're fine. You'll probably find your state and local
laws will go with the ATF on this. Check out TN's government site.

The below is from CFR 24.75. Get the full 123 pages at
http://www.ttb.gov/regulations/27cfr24.pdf.

Under Federal law, any adult may, without payment of tax, produce wine for
personal or family use under regulations in 27 CFR 24.75, which provide the
following:

· The individual must follow applicable State and local laws.

· The individual must be 18 years of age or the legal age to
purchase wine in the locality whichever is older.

· The individual may produce, without payment of tax, per household,
up to 100 gallons of wine per calendar year if there is one adult residing
in the household, or 200 gallons if there are two or more adults residing in
the household.

· The individual may remove wine from the place where it is made for
personal or family use, including use in contests or tasting.

· The individual may not produce wine for sale or offer wine for
sale.

"sara1" > wrote in message ...
> My ex-husband is trying to come up with reasons to take me back to court
> over custody . . . his only "real" complaint that I am concerned with is
> that he is bringing up the fact that I make my own wine. Here in the
South
> women shouldn't be drinking, much less making it in their washroom!!! I
> don't sell. I drink it myself and occasionally share some with family
> members when they visit. He's making it sound like I am brewing moonshine
> in the basement for goodness sake and these small town good ole boys may
not
> know the legalities of home winemaking right off the top of their heads,
so
> I would like to be prepared. Can anyone point me to a website or other
> source where I can really get educated on the laws of homebrewing? Thanks
> in advance. Sara
>
>

Legality of winemaking in TN
 

"Tom S" > wrote:

> Pardon my French, but your ex sounds like a bunghole!
>
> I'm sure the atf.gov site has the law spelled out in great detail, but it
> amounts to this:
>
> A maximum of 100 gallons of wine or beer per year, per adult resident (to
a
> maximum of 200 gallons total) may be produced at home for consumption on
the
> home premises. There is no tax on this production. You are not permitted
> to distill the product.
>
> This law was in effect even during prohibition, and remains so today -
even
> in dry states. Needless to say, the sale of wine grapes was very healthy
in
> those days.

The BATF regs can be seen at
http://www.atf.treas.gov/alcohol/inf...ages/24_75.htm.

However, the current law (allowing home production of beer and wine) did not
go into effect until January of 1979. The specifics of alcohol enforcement
were left up to the states, and not all states took their anti-homebrewing
laws off the books. Homebrewing is still explicitly illegal in a number of
states, and its legality is unclear in a few more.

Legality of winemaking in TN
 

One point to bring out, dosen't federal law trup all local laws?


"Negodki" > wrote in
:

> "sara1" > wrote in message
> ...
>> My ex-husband is trying to come up with reasons to take me back to
>> court over custody . . . his only "real" complaint that I am
>> concerned with is that he is bringing up the fact that I make my own
>> wine. Here in the
> South
>> women shouldn't be drinking, much less making it in their washroom!!!
>> I don't sell. I drink it myself and occasionally share some with
>> family members when they visit. He's making it sound like I am
>> brewing moonshine in the basement for goodness sake and these small
>> town good ole boys may
> not
>> know the legalities of home winemaking right off the top of their
>> heads,
> so
>> I would like to be prepared. Can anyone point me to a website or
>> other source where I can really get educated on the laws of
>> homebrewing? Thanks in advance. Sara
>
> The applicable US statute can be found at
> http://www.atf.gov/alcohol/info/faq/subpages/24_75.htm.
>
> Home winemaking has NEVER been illegal in Tennessee, even during
> prohibition. [Commercial winemaking was illegal from 1911 until, in
> the late 1970's, home winemaker Judge William O. Beach (of
> Clarkskville) pioneered legislation that revived Tennessee's
> commercial wine industry.]
>
> However, them churchgoing rednecks might still be judgmental about a
> lady involved in such sinful activities, no matter what them
> pointyhead politicians have to say about it. If I recall, Lynchburg,
> TN, home of Jack Daniels, is dry county!
>
>
>