Annual Report
Dear Friends,
Your Board of Directors and professional staff at the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) advanced several key initiatives in fiscal year 2011-2012 and worked under new executive leadership to add further skills and critical competencies supporting Oregon’s rapidly growing global wine business.
We made significant progress in renewing our commitment to the three essential elements of OWB’s charter: Marketing, Education and Research. The intent of this Annual Report is to provide a summary of Oregon Wine Board activities and financials for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012.
In partnership with our wineries and vineyards, the Oregon Wine Board worked to spread the word about the exceptional quality of Oregon wines around the world. The Oregon Wine Board’s international marketing efforts focused on expanding availability and sell-through of Oregon wines in Asia and the United Kingdom. On the domestic
front, we hosted visiting journalists and re-launched the Oregon Wine Month promotion, which kicked off with a successful consumer event in April 2012, to drive additional retail and restaurant support for our wines.
The Education and Member Service aspects of OWB’s commitment was primarily fulfilled by the annual Oregon Wine Industry Symposium. The event has expanded over the years and relocated to Portland in February 2012, which enabled increased attendance and media coverage. The move to Portland, and the two-day Symposium program, was well-received based on ratings and feedback from attendees and confirmed by sponsorship revenue growth versus prior years.
Nearly a quarter-million dollars was invested in viticulture and enology research projects that will guide winemakers and growers across the state. The results of the winegrowing and winemaking research are helping propel the increased quality ratings of Oregon wines (See page 6 for details.)
The following pages review some of the priority programs supporting Oregon wine, and provide insight into the investments being made for the future.
With warm regards,
Oregon Wine Board Directors and Staff