ON MAY 8 THE WINE INSTITUTE, one of Washington’s most effective lobbying groups, held a reception at the Library of Congress attended by some 300 senators, House members, pals of the administration, congressional staffers, U.S. Department of Agriculture employees, and businessmen. Even by Washington standards, the event was lavish, with trays of decorative hors d’oeuvres, jumbo strawberries dunked in chocolate, champagne, and, of course, bottomless goblets of California chardonnays and beaujolais.

The Wine Institute had much to celebrate on this evening. Just five days earlier Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman had announced that the institute would receive a $ 3 million gift from USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP). No time was wasted spending it. The purpose of the MAP — previously called the Market Promotion Program and before that Targeted Export Assistance — is to help U.S. farm producers and food companies market and advertise their products overseas. Over the past decade MAP has pumped nearly $ 1 billion of taxpayer money into the coffers of many of America’s largest agri-businesses. More than $ 50 million of these funds has been captured by such impoverished vintners as Ernest and Julio Gallo, Fetzer Vineyards, and Kendall-Jackson. Gallo, which also receives a separate stipend of $ 300,000 for its brandy, announced sales of $ 1.5 billion last year.