Dear Friends,Oregon Wine Month kicks off in just a few weeks and the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) is well into programming and promotion. Following the success of last year’s long runway to the month of May with advanced promotion, OWB has been working to connect industry, trade, media, and consumers to the Wine Month festivities well in advance. The purpose is to encourage a period of increased support from distributors, restaurants, and retailers across the country, create a platform for tactical winery promotions that stimulate sales in all channels, and develop deeper affinity for Oregon Wine by forging an emotional connection with Oregon. This year’s programming includes previously successful tactics as well as brand new opportunities being deployed. While the list is rather long, we are excited to share a handful of them below:
Tillamook partnership: we are be partnering with Tillamook Creamery on two events. The first is a walkaround tasting event on May 4 taking place at their Tillamook facility that features six wineries from across Oregon pairing their wines with various cheeses and dishes. This will be followed by a virtual tasting event on May 16 featuring OWB’s Education Director Bree Stock MW and Tillamook’s world-renowned cheese judge and Director of Product Excellence Jill Allen pairing Oregon wines and cheeses for an online audience with an e-commerce activation.
Digital advertising: OWB began advertising Oregon Wine Month to consumers across the state as well as in key markets outside Oregon with PPC (pay-per-click), SEM (search engine marketing), display marketing, and video with the objective to drive Oregon wine brand awareness, visitation, purchases, and consumption to support in-store trade marketing efforts. Last year, digital advertising generated nearly 3 million impressions and we are expecting to surpass that.
Promoting events: OWB will continue to amplify and promote wine events across the state that feature representation from multiple wineries and regions.
Shortform Masterclass: following several successful years offering masterclass webinars to members of the trade, OWB is switching gears this year with short, digestible videos that are both fun and highly informative while appealing to both trade and consumers. This format allows us to better leverage the content on social media platforms and YouTube. Watch a preview.
Pair It Forward: we are bringing back this fun food and wine-focused video series for its second year. Visit our toolkit to learn more and submit your video.
Sweepstakes: in partnership with Portland Urban Wineries, Rogue Valley Vintners, Willamette Valley Wineries Association, and Umpqua Valley Winegrowers, we have just launched our Oregon Wine Month sweepstakes aimed at collecting emails for retargeting and gaining social media followers. This year’s prize is a choose-your-own-adventure trip to one of four distinct regions.
Media partnerships: this year we are launching expanded partnerships to amplify Oregon Wine Month with VinePair, Oregon Public Broadcasting, the Oregonian, Portland Monthly, and PDX Pipeline.
Vivino partnership: For the first time, Oregon Wine Month will be featured on Vivino (the world’s most used wine app). The targeted ads will garner up to 1.2 million impressions driving traffic to a custom Oregon Wine Month page on Vivino’s platform.
Tourism partnerships: Oregon Wine Month is a highly collaborative effort with Travel Oregon (TO) and RDMOs throughout the state. In addition to our expanded partnership with TO that includes advertising and influencer activations, we are working closely with regional destinations on content development.
Distributor engagement: OWB will be hosting a webinar open for ALL distributor sales teams on April 17 with the objective to educate, inspire, and equip sales professionals on what makes Oregon wine so distinct in the marketplace. OWB is also launching a national sales incentive for an educational trip to Oregon wine country.
Point-of-Sale offering: Three complimentary printed elements have been produced and are being sent out across the country to tasting rooms, distributors and on- and off-premise accounts. Digital and customizable assets have also been produced.
Distributor partnership: OWB has partnered with key distributors nationwide for activations in several markets. For example, Oregon Wine Month will be spotlighted on SGWS Proof throughout the month of May.
Retail programs: OWB is working with retailers across the country to promote and feature the Oregon wine category, such as Gary’s Wine & Marketplace in New Jersey. Gary’s will be prominently displaying Oregon wine in all of their locations with custom signage and have multiple digital sales promotions.
Use the #oregonwinemonth hashtag and tag @oregonwineboard on social media
Visit the toolkit for additional resources and opportunities
As always, you can reach out to us any time with questions related to Oregon Wine Month and OWB marketing and trade activities: [email protected], [email protected].We are looking forward to celebrating another Oregon Wine Month with all of you!
Neil Ferguson
Director of MarketingDavid DeWitt
Trade Relations Manager
Marketing
OWB Marketing
Showcase Your Wine in the Pair It Forward Campaign
OWB is relaunching its successful social media campaign called Pair It Forward (#pairitforward). This campaign uses short videos in which winemakers, chefs, or artisan food producers across the state talk about their favorite wine and food pairings. Visit the Pair It Forward toolkit for a detailed overview of the campaign, including instructions on how to film and upload your video.
Wine Industry Insights
Wine Industry Network (WIN) Update for Wineries Shipping DTC to Wisconsin
According to bill SB 268 effective May 1, DTC shipments to Wisconsin will be limited to wine “manufactured or bottled by the permittee” other adjustments are still under discussion. Learn more.
IWSR Published Key Trends for the U.S. Wine Market in 2024
IWSR data shows that Millennials, premium segments, and export markets could help boost the outlook for the U.S. wine category. Although the volume growth momentum is slowing, sparkling wines are still expected to grow. Learn more.
Education
Free Seminar on Malolactic Fermentation Management | April 12
Prof. Thomas Henick-Kling has organized a seminar on Malolactic Fermentation. Though it will be held in the tri-cities (Richland), hosted by the Washington Wine Technical Group, it is open (and free) to all Oregon winemakers. Read more and register here.
Registration Open for the U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit | April 30 – May 1
Join the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and co-hosts from California, Washington, New York, and Oregon to learn about cutting-edge sustainable and climate-beneficial practices. Be inspired and gain ideas on how to share sustainable wine-growing stories with consumers and trade. Register here.
The Drinks Business Reports on Oregon Wine and Truffle Pairings
L.M. Archer reports on gourmet’s growing interest in Oregon’s four types of native truffles and their compelling pairings with the variety of Willamette Valley wines. Santos, a restaurateur of Guatemalan heritage concludes: Wine and truffles are a celebration of terroir, craftsmanship, and the bountiful treasures of the Pacific Northwest. Learn more.
Paul Gregutt is requesting wine samples to review for his website PaulG On Wine. He posts reviews every week, including a wine of the week, a value wine of the week, and a wine for the Cellar. Learn more.
Oregon Wine Press Seeks Roses for Cellar Select | Deadline April 23
Vinous Seeks Wines for its Annual Oregon Report | Deadline May 13
Vinous Pacific Northwest critic Eric Guido will be in Oregon in mid-May. OWB will coordinate a comprehensive tasting with wines from all over the state. Learn more.
Save the Date for OWB Viticulture & Enology Funded Research Update | May 14, 2:30 – 4:40 p.m.
The Oregon Wine Board provides, pursuant to its legislative charter, research grants to institutions for research in viticulture and enology of particular relevance to the Oregon wine industry. The results of OWB-supported technical research are reported to the industry through seminars, symposia, extension publications, and peer-reviewed journals. On May 14 the OWB will host a webinar where scientists will present their completed research projects as well as ongoing OWB-funded research. Register here.
Opportunities
Participate in the Oregon Vineyard & Winery Census | Deadline May 8
Census participants will receive the preliminary price report in May in advance of the full report.All Oregon vineyard and winery owners are invited to complete the annual census for the 2023 crop. Data generated from the census will go into the 2023 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Production Report. This report is used by many, but the information is particularly useful to organizations that serve you, including the OWRI, OWB, OWA, USDA-ARS, and more. Past reports are available on the Oregon Wine Board website. Contact Robert Parker ([email protected]) with any questions. Participate in the census.
Join the Women In Wine Family
Women in Wine (WiW) Oregon invites you to join as they grow and expand their reach. Membership with WiW provides access and discounts to educational seminars, networking events, and the annual conference in July. You’ll receive access to the video library from past events and much more. Memberships are valid for one year after purchase. Scholarships and payment plans are available. Please reach out with any questions: [email protected].
AVP Wine Collective Launches Incubator Program for Winemakers | Applications Due April 30
Alis volat propriis (AVP) is Latin for “She flies with her own wings” — the state motto of Oregon. AVP Wine Collective is launching its first-ever incubator program and looking for applications for its first cohort. This program is designed to foster the growth of a more diverse landscape of winemaking projects and support communities that lack representation in Oregon wine. Their goal is to engage 2 – 3 new winemakers each year in the process of launching their brand and offer them training, support, and expertise in reaching their goals. Learn more.
Other News
Travel Oregon 2023 Tourism Industry Achievement Awards
Oregon Outback Dark Sky Network takes home the Governor’s Award for their work to certify the Oregon Outback as the world’s largest Dark Sky Sanctuary. Read more.
Neil Ferguson
Director of MarketingDavid DeWitt
Trade Relations Manager
