Wastebook - Senator Tom Coburn - U.S. Senate

Wastebook 201326. Red Ink Pays for Red Wine for Red China – (California, Washington andthe People’s Republic of China) $415,000Taxpayers are likely to get red in the face when they learn the federal government, awash in red ink, ispaying to serve red wine in red China.The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending over $415,000 this year to serve up fine wines inChina. This handout includes a $369,292 grant from the Emerging Market Program 327 and a $45,984grant from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. 328The Emerging Market Program grant is intended to build “a community of ‘influentials’” in China tocreate a demand for fine California wines. 329 The money has been awarded to the Family Winemakersof California (FWC) and Stonebridge Research Group LLC “to develop a roadmap on how to sellCalifornia fine wines” in China. 330 The project seeks to “appeal to China’s ‘aspirational’ wineconsumers by building the associations between the wines and desirable/prestigious/luxuryexperiences.” 331 It would do so by“training wine educators who will thendeliver the classes across China,”according to the president ofStonebridge. “The only way we knowhow to win a wine customer’s heart is totell them the stories - about handcraftedworld class wines, about the people whomake them, the places and the historyand its intimate connection to the soil,the people and the place. We believethey will realize that these wines are notonly great value but highlyprestigious.” 332 This grant is the first ofTaxpayers are likely to get red in the face when they learn our federalgovernment, awash in red ink, is paying to serve red wine in red China.“an expected three year undertaking.” 333The Specialty Crop Block GrantProgram will bring Chinese wine connoisseurs to Washington state to meet with local wineries. 334The goal of the project, which is being conducted in partnership with the Washington State WineCommission and Visit Seattle,” is to “build Washington State’s reputation as a premier destination forwine tourism.” 335Because China has a growing market, American wine makers have good reason to promote theirproducts in the Communist country. In 2012, wine sales in China reached 257 billion yuan, about $41billion. 336 The sale of American wines in the country totaled $74 million, up 18 percent from 2011. 337But it makes little sense for the U.S. federal government, which owes China over $1.2 trillion, 338 to bespending some of that borrowed money to pay for wine tours and tastings for Chinese wineconnoisseurs, especially when our nation is struggling to implement the budget cuts imposed bysequestration. Real wine connoisseurs know what the best wines are, and don’t need governmentfundedmarketing to tell them.46