HARRISBURG — Wineries are closer to being able to ship their products directly to Pennsylvania consumers after the passage of a bill in the state House.

The vote Thursday sent the bill to the state Senate. It would allow wine producers to obtain a license through the Liquor Control Board. Purchasers must be at least 21 years old.

The proposal is separate from the liquor privatization legislation being considered in the General Assembly. Supporters say it would meet the requirements of a court decision and enable Pennsylvania wineries to ship to buyers in other states that require reciprocity.

WASHINGTON — U.S. mortgage rates have suddenly jumped from near-record lows and are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of buying a home.The average rate on the 30-year fixed loan soared this week to 4.46 percent, according to a report Thursday from mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. That's the highest average in two years and a full point more than a month ago.The surge follows the Federal Reserve's signal that it could slow its bond purchases later this year. A pullback by the Fed would likely send long-term interest rates even higher.In the short run, the spike in mortgage rates might be causing more people to consider buying a home soon. Rates are still low by historical standards, and would-be buyers would want to lock them in before they rise further.But eventually, more expensive home loans could price some people out and slow the housing market's momentum, which has helped drive the U.S. economy over the past year.“People are getting off the fence a little bit more or choosing to buy now instead of choosing to buy three months from now,” said Anthony Geraci, a Cleveland real estate broker-owner who says he's seeing more sales activity lately in his market.

BAKU, Azerbaijan — A new pipeline to bring gas to Europe from the Caspian Sea will go through Greece and then under the sea to Italy, it was confirmed today, a defeat for a rival project to bring gas through Bulgaria and into Austria.BP, the main developer of the huge Shah Deniz gas field in the Caspian Sea, said that the project was awarded to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, or TAP. The other option, the Nabucco West, would have run across Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria.The Greek prime minister hailed the decision as the most significant boost for his country's economy in the past decade.TAP is led by Norway's Statoil, Axpo of Switzerland and the German firm E.ON. Its pipeline will run nearly 500 miles across Turkey, northern Greece and into southern Albania before traveling under the sea to Italy. BP holds 25.5 percent of the Shah Deniz project, while Statoil holds another 25.5 percent. Azerbaijan's state oil and gas company, Socar, holds 10 percent, as do Russia's Lukoil, Iran's Nico and France's Total. The other 9 percent is held by Trao.