Illegal winery busted at Alabama town’s sewage plant

The Associated Press ^ | December 18, 2020

[Oldeconomybuyer]

RAINSVILLE, Ala. - Sheriff’s officials say they’ve busted an illegal winery that was operating at a municipal sewage plant in a small north Alabama town.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it received an anonymous tip about an alcohol operation at a municipal building in the town of Rainsville on Thursday. Investigators then uncovered what’s described as a large illegal winery inside the Rainsville Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Photos released by investigators show glass containers, buckets, a fermenting rack and other equipment often used by people who make wine at home.

The agency says officers seized a lot of illegal alcohol, and arrests are expected. The town of about 5,100 people is 100 miles northeast of Birmingham.

“I want to thank the mayor for his cooperation and willingness to allow law enforcement to do our job and shut something like this down,” Sheriff Nick Welden said in a statement. “This is definitely one of the biggest operations we’ve seen in our county and possibly our state.”

It’s legal to make limited amounts of wine at home in Alabama, but it’s illegal to have more than 15 gallons of homemade wine or beer at a time.

[TangoLimaSierra]

So what food goes with a nice brown wine?

[gov_bean_ counter]

This wine tastes like ****.

Too easy.

[EvilCapitalist]

Hopefully a Biden voter.

[gov_bean_ counter]

My neighbor in South Alabama used to make scuppernong wine in his guest bathroom tub. This was back in the 60s.

[SgtHooper]

No. It’s,

“We take take $h!t from everybody!”

[wildcard_redneck]

I have no problem with moonshiners, they are the original Americans, but to do it in a sewage treatment plant? That is just wrong.

[wildcard_redneck]

Well played, Sir!

[Flick Lives]

Chateau de Toilette

[wildcard_redneck]

I’ll have a bottle of two butt chuck!

[Michael.SF.]

Hmmmm, I'm getting hints of corn and chocolate. No wait, that's probably fecal matter, with hints of urine. This one is too early and need to age.

[Dr. Sivana]

Why make wine in Alabama? In Georgia, the only wine I know of being made locally was Muscatel.

In Alabama they make moonshine. One of my co-corkers described his operation in Opelika that helped fund his college education. He was rightfully proud of the finished product, but made me promise not to let his children know what he used to do.

[Rio]

[donozark]

I hear the Cabernet is to die for.

[left that other site]

Chateau de Toilette

Appelation Controlle', 2020. An Amusing vintage, reminiscent of woody fungus and fermented meat, full of nutty, musky, undertones and a top-note of Urea.

ML/LTOS

[jimmygrace]

ewwww... sometimes you don’t need to go deeper than the headline...

[livius]

North Georgia actually has a pretty big wine industry, and some of the wines are quite good. Depending on the variety, they get the grapes from CA or grow them in GA. Check out Dahlonega. Visiting the wineries around there makes a great trip.

As for Alabama, the only one I’ve heard of is the sewage plant...

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

LOL!

[The Sons of Liberty]

Their vintages have a unique bouquet.

[sasquatch]

It’s the water.

[Dr. Sivana]

North Georgia actually has a pretty big wine industry, and some of the wines are quite good. Depending on the variety, they get the grapes from CA or grow them in GA.

I lived in south Georgia, and I do not have a cultured wine palate, so I defer to your judgement.