By Associated Press
Calera, AL – Alabama has all sorts of tourist trails - there's one for civil rights, another for birds and yet another for old churches. The newest one was introduced yesterday to promote the state's wineries, but Baptists aren't joining in the toast.
A trade association and a tourism group came up with the Alabama Wine Trail to lure visitors to the state's eight wineries, which produce everything from fruity muscadine and peach wines to more traditional varieties such as merlot and chardonnay.
Tom Vizzini hopes the trail will increase traffic at his Vizzini Farms Winery in Shelby County, which produces as many as 3,000 cases a year.
The Reverend Robert Griffin, a Baptist leader in neighboring Chilton County said his group opposed the winery and doesn't like the idea of luring tourists to Alabama to drink alcohol.
Alabama law limits home wine production to five gallons at a time. Supporters said the state's Wineries and Grape Growers Association hasn't been able to get much support for increasing the cap.
The surrounding states of Georgia, Florida and Tennessee already have wine trails, and Kentucky has a bourbon trail.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)