Disgraceful!

Shame on us! No posts since June! So nothing happened, right? Wrong!

OK, since no-one else commented on what's going on, I will.

Italy won the World Cup. Fantastic. It was always going to be. Zidane, well you've heard all that already, so 'nuff said. (thanks Daniella for the "funnies"). They only have to win once more to equlaize Brazil's record. Ha! As for England, well again they showed promise but just couldn't deliver and died away without any fuss.

Wine, Wine, Wine

First Up - Wine Bond

Ok, so the local guy who gets us the bond wants it put in my name. Only $100, so no problem? Big Problem. You see, the bond needs to be in the name of the applicant, which is Via Vecchia, not me. So how to fix this, easy put $10,000 in the Via Vecchia bank account. So me and Anton do that, but in the meantime Anton puts Plan B into operation. This after I call the FEDs to confirm the matter.

PLAN B - Anton calls up this Californian company he found on the WWW. Long and short of it is that they can bond us for $100. We fill in a Form and Bob's your Uncle - ecco fatto!

FED Application

With the bond on its way we can now complete the FED forms and submit our application. The bond is the most important part of the application. The FED told me that they can work with us on all the other forms, but not the bond - if it ain't exactly correct, the whole application is returned.

So, Monday 10th July 2006 we posted, via UPS, our application to the FEDs.

STATE Application

Tuesday we completed the State forms. These basically ask you for the same information over and over again. We made sure we had them completed and decided to hand deliver them. But back up a minute - background checks...

Ok, so the State requires background checks. You ask them for a form to take to the background agency, who then tosses it away because it's the wrong form. The agency then posts to you the results.

I then collect Michael's results and get his signature on a personal history form. Anton goes to do the same with Marty - who has lost his. Well what can you do? MArty go do it again or call them for a duplicate. I call the State on Wednesday and am told that if we had sent in our application with the results, the application would have been rejected.

Just in case you missed the point, I'll explain again...State REQUIRES a background check...State REQUIRES you to send in the background check form (it says so in the instructions) yet the agency keeps the results and provides you a letter which the State uses to reject your application. You would have provided the results because the form says you have to provide something. So what do you do? Apparently the agency sends the State the results. Oh now I get it! But the agency needs your permit ID to do that because the State, despite getting all your info and that of the company doesn't use any of that for reference. How do you get a permit ID if your application is not granted? How do you get your application even considered with the background check? Catch-22?

Well, you give the State a few days then call them and they'll give you the permit ID. They did that today.

It remains to be seen whether the agency knows what to do with the ID. When I called them today, the lady just groaned and said ""On God" and referred me to Claire. I forgot to call back, so I'll see on Monday.

STATE FORM Cont'd...So aremed witrh the news that we mustn't submit the results of the check with our application, we go to the agency.

We turn up, get badges and straight away shown to a lady at a reception-style desk. She takes our envelope of forms, throws away the nice cover letter and starts stamping them. Then she asks for the Financial Viability Form. The what!?

The Financial Viability Form

This form appears in their website. The context is mainly in respect to purchases of businesses and for those with business loans. In one place it says it's for another type of format. Anton is swearing blind in his head that it's not needed as that what some other agency bod told him. Anyway, do nothing to have her hand the forms back...so it's can we submit later? Lucky the answer is Yes. By fax even. Since this form does not have a field for the winery name or your own for that matter, and they seem to bin cover letter, God knows how this will meet up with our application. The next morning we had it completed and faxed in. Job done.

The applications are in. We cannot believe it. We are on our way.

Other developments - Our wine was the winner at Cuyahoga Falls but the unfiltered cloudiness defeated us; the judges told Michael they had placed ours 1st apart from that. Michael talk about this please.

Distractions - Anton rightly got us back on track as we found ourselves drifting and getting ahead of the game. Thank you. It's wise to travel in pairs. Anton talk about this please.

Barrel Fun - tomorrow we get more barrels from James. Clean 'em.

Donnie from Ohio Wine Producer's Assco didn't show Wednesday? What's up with that Michael?