Dear Karen, Why aren’t winery tasting rooms open in the evening?

May 15, 2026

Dear Karen, Why aren’t winery tasting rooms open in the evening? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Dear James: Good question! It would be nice if more were. Wineries must abide by their state’s alcohol beverage laws which include the hours when a winery can be open and when it must close. Counties can make a state’s laws even more strict. In the Napa Valley of California, for example, most wineries close at 5pm. In the Willamette Valley of Oregon, however, some winery tasting rooms are open until 9pm, especially on the weekends when many also offer food and live music.

Which of the following is NOT a top 3 Italian wine by volume in retail sales globally?The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Prosecco

B. Chianti

C. Barolo

D. Lambrusco

Why So Much Italian Wine?

In the United States, most of the wine that’s imported is Italian. In 2025 some 93.2 million gallons of Italian wine were imported into this country. In fact, Italian wine has led US imports for decades, hitting a peak in 2021 with 43% of all US table wine imports. Is it because Italian wine is just so good? I love lots of Italian wine, but I’m sure “goodness” has nothing to do with it. What does? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.