The January edition of the Grapevine includes a reminder to fill out the 2024 Oregon Vineyard & Winery Census, updates about the Oregon Wine Symposium, an invitation to the Oregon Wine Month Kick-off Webinar, and more. Read more below.
Letter from Gina Bianco
Dear Colleagues,
For the OWB team, we have had a very busy start to the new year as we finalize details for the Oregon Wine Symposium (OWS) at the Oregon Convention Center on Monday and Tuesday, February 3 and 4. As always, the Symposium offers a slate of sessions covering Viticulture, Enology, Direct-to-Consumer and Executive Business. In addition, we are excited to present to you a 2024 year in review and our plan for the year ahead.
Facing the Tide…
I would like to acknowledge that 2025 has started off with a new set of challenges for our industry. On January 3, a Surgeon General’s Advisory linked all alcohol in any amount to cancer. On January 15, two contradictory reports came to light, both serving to advise the Department of Health and Human Services on updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We continue to stay abreast of these, and other factors affecting Oregon Wine, and are working closely with regional, state, and national associations, such as the OWA & OWC and the Wine Market Council, to best support you. For now, I recommend two articles with perspectives on these recent announcements. From Wine Spectator, an opinion that summarizes these reports and offers some context; and from Tom Wark’s Fermentation Newsletter an assessment of the potential consequences of the Surgeon General’s Advisory.
Turning Crisis into Opportunity…
While these reports may increase the social and economic weight on our industry, I would like to turn the tide to one that focuses on positivity, and I invite you to work with OWB this year to consider ways that we can amplify the opportunities that lie ahead of us. Tell the Oregon Wine story in a way that only we can. Work collaboratively across regions to support and encourage one another, we can be the change we want to see. Together, we can and will make a difference.
Work with us to turn the tide toward positivity…
Come and share your thoughts with us at the OWB Listening Session on Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm following the Symposium. We need your help in shaping the future of the Oregon Wine Board. Directors and staff, along with our consultants, will be on hand to engage you in our strategic planning process. Your opinion matters to us! Register here and select the OWB Interactive Listening Session ONLY option if you are not attending the Symposium. If you are not able to be in Portland on February 4, keep an eye out for an invitation to join us at a listening session near you in March.
Get Smart, Get Started and Get Results
To get you started on this journey, I encourage you to read an article by the president of WineAmerica, Jim Trezise, entitled WineAmerica: Seizing the Opportunity of Crisis. He begins the article with a quote from JFK, “The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for ‘danger,’ the other for ‘opportunity.’”
He then provides an anthology of historical crises the wine industry has faced over the past 50 years. It wasn’t until people decided to get smart and get together that they started getting results. In conclusion, he states, “It’s 2025. A new year, and a fresh start to transform crises into opportunities. We can do that by applying passion, commitment, and collaboration — and by sharing a glass of what we love.”
My new year’s resolution is to choose a path that seizes the opportunities in front of us, and I hope you will join me on that journey.
I look forward to seeing you at the Oregon Wine Symposium. Please stop by our booth, say hello to the OWB team, and learn more about how you can engage with us in 2025.
Happy New Year!
Gina
Gina Bianco
Executive Director
Marketing
OWB Marketing
International Programs: Register for Trade Tastings in Canada by Jan. 20
Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in OWB’s annual trade tastings in Canada, our largest international market. OWB, along with WSWC, will be in Toronto on April 7 and Montreal on April 9. Deadline to register is January 20. For more information and to register follow the links below: Toronto Trade Tasting Montreal Trade Tasting
Contact Margaret Bray with any questions regarding international programs.
Oregon Wine Month 2025: Register for the Kick-off Webinar on Jan. 29
Join the OWB team for the Oregon Wine Month (OWM) 2025 Kick-Off Webinar on Wednesday, January 29. We have a fresh take on making OWM even more successful this year – from an all-new toolkit and resources for industry and trade to bold campaigns to showcase the unique diversity and quality of Oregon wine. We can’t wait to share them with you! Please register here. Passcode: 883035
OWM Toolkit Update for Industry and Trade
The 2025 Oregon Wine Month Toolkit is here! This dynamic resource will continue to grow as we finalize campaign elements, so check back regularly for updates. You can use these tools to kick-start your marketing efforts and make the most of Oregon Wine Month. Together, let’s celebrate Oregon wine and launch the 2025 wine country tourism season with impact! Please direct any questions about Oregon Wine Month to Carissa Cook, OWB’s Marketing & Insights Director.
2025-26 Wine Touring Guide: Update your OWB Winery Listing
The new Oregon Wine Touring Guide for 2025 will soon be underway! We encourage all Oregon wineries to check and update their listing on the OWB site. The toolkit for your listing updates can be found here. Thank you in advance for reviewing and updating as necessary, which will make this year’s process as efficient for everyone as possible.
Oregon Wine Media Library – Share and Utilize Imagery
As a reminder, the OWB has a media library that is available to the industry. To use, simply request access to the site, which includes professional photography of Oregon wine imagery. Additionally, if you would like to share your images for others to use, you are welcome to upload them here.
Wine Industry Marketing
The 2025 Tasting Event Season Begins!
Join winemakers in the Umpqua Valley for the 53rd annual Greatest of the Grape
Saturday, February 1, 2025
6:00 – 9:00 pm (VIP option available)
Seven Feathers Casino Resort in the Umpqua Valley
Indulge in delicious wines produced by Umpqua Valley wineries, with each winery bringing a red and a white wine for you to taste. Attendees will vote for the People’s Choice award, to determine who will be crowned the Greatest of the Grape! Other activities include a silent auction to help raise money for the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association, and the famous “Wheel of Wine” where you get to spin-to-win, while supporting a local charity. This is one of Oregon’s largest winter wine tasting events, which you won’t want to miss! Admission includes wine tasting, delicious appetizers, and a souvenir wine glass. For more details and to purchase tickets, click here.
Oregon Chardonnay Celebration returns
Saturday, February 22, 2025
2:00 – 5:00 pm
The Allison Inn & Spa
Immerse yourself in Oregon Chardonnay, sampling wines from over 60 of Oregon’s top Chardonnay producers. The Allison’s executive chef Jack Strong and guest chefs from Portland and the Willamette Valley will create perfectly paired bites to accompany the wines. New this year is the addition of retail sales! For more details and to purchase tickets, click here.
Education
2025 Oregon Wine Symposium Updates
The 2025 Oregon Wine Symposium is right around the corner on February 3-4, 2025. The OWB Board Directors and Team are so excited about what we’ve accomplished in 2024, and we can’t wait to share it with you! Registration is open.
Join us for a Listening Session & Visit the OWB Booth
We encourage you to join OWB’s Listening Session at 2 pm on Tuesday, February 4 at the conclusion of the Symposium. We want to hear from you as we begin our 2025-2030 strategic planning process! Register here (no cost to attend, Symposium attendance not required).
Don’t forget to visit the OWB booth while you’re at Symposium. Meet the OWB Team and some of our Directors to learn more about how we’re boosting programs and services for the industry, and opportunities to engage.
To view the full 2025 Symposium program, click here.
Press and Media
Media Highlights
SIP Magazine’s Top Stories of 2024
The SIP team takes a look back at the stories that resonated the most with its readers in 2024. Read more.
Decanter highlighted Oregon Sparkling wines for New Year’s celebrations
Clive Pursehouse describes Oregon’s “sparkling renaissance that pops with quality and value.” Read more.
Update/Correction: Bergström’s earned the #34 spot on Wine Spectator’s 2024 Top 100 List!
In our Jan. 1 email announcing the many Oregon wines that landed on 2024 end-of-year top lists, we inadvertently left off Bergström’s Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge La Spirale Vineyard 2022, which made the Wine Spectator Top 100 list at #34! Congratulations, and we apologize for the oversight.
As a reminder, TEXSOM Awards submissions are accepted through February 3 and the shipping consolidation at Northwest Distribution (NWDS) is available through this Friday, January 17. Use the TEXSOM Awards submission link on their website to log-in or create your account. Email TEXSOM if you need assistance accessing your existing account.
OWB Shipping Consolidation
NWDS will receive Oregon wines for a consolidated shipment to TEXSOM. All wines must be received by this Friday, January 17. NWDS address: 1745 Oxford St. SE, #150, Salem, OR 97302. The following form for NWDS must be filled out and attached twice to each box.
OWP Cellar Selects – Due on January 21
Oregon Wine Press Cellar Selects | April 2025 Pinot Noir No. 1 (excluding library wines) (+SPK)
Send ONE submission (TWO bottles) per brand of your current vintage. (Varietal-specific sparkling wine accepted.) Include retail price, no price limit and wine must be received by 5 p.m., Tuesday, January 21
Please drop off or ship your submission(s) by UPS or FedEx only to:
Oregon Lithoprint, Attn: Cellar Selects OWP, 1315 N.E. Miller St., McMinnville, OR 97128
Drop off hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Questions? Contact Michele Francisco.
Decanter World Wine Awards
2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is accepting entries. OWB has teamed up with Decanter to support your participation. OWB will cover the costs of consolidated shipping and Decanter is providing a 5% discount on entry fees for up to five entries per winery. Use the code DWWA25-OREGON5 for your first five entries.
The deadline to participate in shipping consolidation is Feb. 28:
ALLSTATE Warehouse, 7302 26th St E Suite D101, Fife, WA 98424
Contact: Ole Heiken: [email protected]
Dr. Greg Jones recently published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at December conditions and forecasts conditions for January, February and March.
2024 Oregon Harvest Report Published
The 2024 Oregon Wine Harvest Report is now published on the OWB’s industry website. Special thanks to Dr. Greg Jones, as well as the winemakers around the state that contributed to this report.
Wine Industry Business
Final Week: Take the Oregon Wine Labor & Salary Survey by January 20
As a reminder, the annual Oregon Wine Salary and Labor Survey is open for responses until end of day on January 20. The anonymous survey only takes 15-20 minutes to complete, and the report provides current and historical information on wages and salaries that can be used by vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms in planning and making hiring decisions. Learn more here or get started by clicking here. Please reach out to Jess Willey, OWB Research & Education Director, with any questions regarding the survey. Thank you for your participation!
Reminder: The 2024 Oregon Vineyard & Winery Census Survey is Open through Feb. 15
The survey for the 2024 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census is open through February 15. This annual census initiative asks every vineyard and winery business in Oregon to respond with harvest, production, and sales data, in order to develop a full picture of the year in Oregon wine. All data are kept strictly confidential by the researchers, and all data are reported in aggregate.
Information about this initiative can be found on the OWB’s industry website. The survey is sent directly from research partner Bob Parker at the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement (IPRE) at the University of Oregon. If you are expecting to receive the survey but have not seen it yet, please contact Bob Parker at IPRE.
Reminder: 2024 Oregon Wine Export Activities Survey is Open through Feb. 15
All Oregon wineries, regardless of whether they currently export wine, are asked to take a brief survey on export activities. This survey is being conducted by OWB’s international marketing services agency, Bryant Christie International. Learn more about this initiative or start the survey.
Other News & Information
Industry Statement in response to recent Surgeon General’s comments
On Friday, January 10, the Oregon Wine Board, Willamette Valley Wineries Association, and the Oregon Winegrowers Association, issued a joint industry statement in response to the recent discussions from the medical community regarding alcohol. Click here to view the full statement.
OWB FY25-26 Budget Process and Proposed Timeline
OWB’s budget development for FY25-26 is getting started. The detailed draft budget will be posted on February 17 followed by a public presentation on February 25.
The Annual Business Plan Toolkit includes timelines, dates, budgets, industry input form, meeting registration links, and recordings of public presentations.
We greatly value the input of all OWB stakeholders. We hope to see you at our strategic plan regional listening sessions this spring. You can also share your ideas via this form: FY25-26 Budget Planning Ideas. If you would like to have a more in-depth discussion, please reach out to OWB’s Chief Financial Officer, Sally Crawford. The submission deadline to be considered for the FY25-26 budget plan is June 1, 2025.
Grape Assessment Information: Sales to Canada
The OWB has received inquiries regarding grape sales to Canada. As a reminder: An Oregon vineyard who sells and exports grapes to a non-OR winery without OLCC permit owes $12.50/ton directly to OLCC. For questions about filing the Oregon Wine Board Tax, contact the OLCC at [email protected].
February 3-4, 2025
Registration continues through the end of the month! Visit the Symposium website for full program details, hotel information and to register.
