Solomon’s Island Winery owner Ken Korando, left, meets former Maryland Senator Bernie Fowler. — The Bay Net photos by Sean Rice.

 

Dyson

Friends and politicians held a “thank you” reception for Maryland Senator Roy Dyson last weekend, for his efforts in saving small wineries from extinction by the hands of national producers and lobbyists.

Glasses were lifted for Dyson on July 15 at Solomon’s Island Winery, the home and place of business of Ken and Ann Korando, while friends enjoyed catered food and live music.

And of course samples of the Korando’s tasty homemade creations were in full supply.

“I like to tell people it’s a hobby that went bad,” Ken Korando told The Bay Net about his entrance into the wine making business.

Ken and Ann consider themselves amateur gourmets and wine connoisseurs, after buying the property five years ago in Solomon’s they decided to expand their wine making hobby into a part time business.

“We like to cook, and we thought we could reduce our wine bill by making our own,” Korando said, adding that he used his experience as a corporate financer and investment banker to investigate a business model for a new company.

They were commercially licensed in 2004 and now the Solomon’s Island Winery is set to hire their fourth full time employee.

Today the company offers nine different type of wine for sale – four dry wines, four sweet wine combos and one dessert wine. The wines are available at a couple hundred stores and restaurants in 17 Maryland counties.

But their road to success was nearly bulldozed earlier this year when Maryland Comptroller William Schaefer issued a ruling banning small time wineries from shipping their product to stores and restaurants.

The ruling came in response to a U.S. Court Ruling that stated if a state allows local wineries to ship directly to customers, out-of-state wineries must be allowed the same privilege.

The ruling didn’t effect Maryland, because direct to consumers selling is not allowed, but the decision spurred lawyers for the major wine wholesalers to sue 15 states where small wholesalers are permitted to ship to stores and restaurants. The lawsuit used the same basis as the Supreme Court ruling, that out-of-state wineries should have the same rights as local wineries.

The February 2006 Schaefer ruling, with the support of the Attorney General and Governor, banned Maryland wholesalers from shipping to stores and restaurants.

Shipping to stores and restaurants constitutes a vast majority of Solomon’s Island Winery’s business, “so that essentially put us out of business,” Korando said.

In response Sen. Mac Middleton sponsored a bill that would restore the right of self-distribution for wineries that produce 27,500 gallons or less per year. The bill also allowed out-of-state wineries to have the same privilege, as to keep with the spirit of the Supreme Court ruling.

The bill went to the Senate Education,