PORTLAND, OR … May 18, 2020 – The positive trajectory of Oregon wine sales, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, may be an indicator that people find drinking Oregon wine to be a rewarding experience. And now, between May 1 and July 1, 2020, Oregon wine drinkers will be rewarded even further with Oregon Vine Perks, a new statewide loyalty program launched by the Oregon Wine Board during Oregon [Inside] Wine Month. The Oregon Vine Perks program is simple; anyone who spends $250 or more on Oregon wine between May 1 and July 1, 2020, can upload their receipts as proof of purchase and receive an Oregon Vine Perks Pass in the mail. The pass will unlock two-for-one tastings, discounts and VIP benefits at participating wineries across the state once tasting rooms reopen. The passes are good through April 30, 2021. Receipts can be from wine purchased anywhere in the world from wineries, winery websites, physical or online retailers, and restaurants, too.
In further support of the program, the Oregon Wine Board will make a donation in the name of Oregon Vine Perks to the Oregon Food Bank.
“This program is three-fold–it works to inspire sales of Oregon wine immediately when winemakers need it, it rewards people who consume Oregon wine, and it spurs on visitation once tasting rooms reopen, which we are all looking very much forward to,” said program architect and OWB Manager Christina DeArment.
Participation is open to any interested Oregon winery at no cost as a program offered by the Oregon Wine Board. Oregon Vine Perks is a partnership with Vinbound Marketing, creators of the successful Winery Hunt Club.
This program seeks to provide an extra layer of incentives on top of promotions wineries are already running, as well as bring new consumers to tasting rooms so they may deepen their interest in Oregon wine. Oregon winery tasting rooms have been closed for on-premise tasting and consumption since March 23 with Governor Kate Brown’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” Executive Order to slow the spread of COVID-19. After almost two months, on May 7, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the plans for the Phase One reopenings with Oregon winery tasting rooms greenlighted to start opening May 15, 2020 with 31 counties leading the way listed here. Located inside many of these counties are a number of winery tasting rooms.
Because May will look different than it has in the past due to COVID-19, Oregon Wine Month will now be known as Oregon [Inside] Wine Month, serving as a nod to the COVID-19 crisis. The Oregon Inside campaign will continue as long as the COVID-19 climate dictates.
Oregon has 793 wineries in the state, and is noted for its Pinot noir, the state’s leading variety, accounting for 56% of all planted acreage and 58% of 2018 wine grape production. Nielsen data for the weeks of March 14, 21 and 28, when Stay At Home orders were first being issued, show that Oregon wine was up 52% in retail sales, outperforming the total table wine category, which was up 41%. Also notable are the sales for the week of March 21, when sales of Oregon wine were up 77%. This marked the wine category’s second highest performing week over the past 52 weeks, behind only Christmas week.
###
About the Oregon Wine Board
The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent Oregon state agency managing marketing, research and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine and wine grape industry. The Board works on behalf of all Oregon wineries and independent growers throughout the state’s diverse winegrowing regions. Visit oregonwine.org.
