On the Horizon: Wine Destination

Wine production was a significant component of the Oklahoma agricultural economy in the 1920s. The industry was destroyed by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and the introduction of Prohibition in the United States. But vineyards and wineries are making a come-back.

I have gone on a number of Agritourism bus tours and many of them have included either a vineyard, a winery, or both. Each time it’s evident that the people on the bus enjoy their wine. Now most people think of wine tasting as something you do in California or France, but you can taste wine right here in Oklahoma. And let me tell you, some of it is quite good. Some people even hop in a limo and “tour” the local wineries to get a taste of Oklahoma wines without the problem of who the designated driver is. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Oklahoma currently has about 52 wineries. In this week’s video blog, get a taste of the success Whispering Meadows Winery has as a one stop shop for any wine connoisseur.

Alisa Hines

Oklahoma is better than just OK

I'm visiting California and it hits me, Oklahoma is a really great place to live. The cost of living is low (very affordable), the food is extremely tasty (although that taste is probably slightly fattening), and our state's budget is a balanced one. Now that may not seem important to you but consider this...California which has high priced living and high priced food, for all the money they spend there is flat broke. So much so, they are trying to sell off some of their tourist destinations (which should be making the state money) to raise money for their government. Can you imagine our government selling off the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum or Beavers Bend State Park or Grand Lake to raise money to pay our state's bills? I don't know about you, but I'm glad our legislature takes the time and effort to make sure we live within our means. It's a good lesson to learn for our own lives in the ever tightening economy.

Well it's time for our tour of San Francisco (hopefully there's something left to see). I'll chatatcha later!
Alisa