06 LC 97
0170
House
Resolution 1175
By:
Representatives Amerson of the
9th,
Stephens of the
164th,
Houston of the
170th,
Greene of the
149th,
and Crawford of the
127th
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
Georgia's state owned resorts and restaurants which serve wine to list the fine
wines grown and produced by Georgia's licensed vineyards and wineries; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Georgia is fast becoming a prominent winegrowing region, with the addition of
several new vineyards and wineries in the last five years and more in the
planning stages; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia boasts the perfect terrain for the cultivation of European vinifera as
well as hybrid and native American wine grapes; and
WHEREAS,
these farm wineries have formed several nonprofit organizations such as the
Winegrowers Association of Georgia, The Georgia Wine Council, and The Georgia
Muscadine Association and are attracting visitors from all over Georgia and
neighboring states along the Georgia Wine Highway, recently designated by the
state Department of Transportation; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia wines have won hundreds of awards and medals in national and
international competitions, and the vineyards have attracted the attention of
local and national media, including the
Wall Street
Journal, the
San Francisco
Chronicle, CNN, Turner South,
Southern
Living,
Georgia
Trend,
Points
North,
Northeast Georgia
Living, and
Macon
magazines, Atlanta
Homes and Lifestyles and other state and
regional publications; and
WHEREAS,
the States of Virginia and North and South Carolina are officially promoting
their winegrowing industries, and the Georgia Economic Development Council has
also shown interest in promoting Georgia viticulture and wines along with local
convention and visitors bureaus, civic organizations, and private entities who
are sponsoring annual wine festivals; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia wines are now featured in top restaurants, gourmet shops, and beverage
stores across the state; and
WHEREAS,
the Georgia wine industry represents an example of agritourism at its best by
creating jobs in the agricultural, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail
sectors of local economies, thereby making a considerable contribution to local
government tax bases where tourism is a vital part of the economy.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body request that the state Department of Economic Development and the
state Department of Natural Resources, which oversees many state owned resorts
that serve wine, including Smithgall Woods, Blackshear Resort, Unicoi State Park
Lodge, Little Ocmulgee Lodge, Redtop Mountain Lodge, and George T. Bagby Lodge,
direct such facilities to work with all of Georgia's licensed vineyards and
wineries to assure that their guests have a choice of Georgia wines among other
wines they offer visitors.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the
appropriate state officials in the above-mentioned departments as well as to the
managers of resorts and restaurants and to independent state authorities such as
the Jekyll Island—State Park Authority which manage similar state owned
facilities.