The 2019 Oregon Wine Symposium is just three weeks away, on Feb. 12-13, and it is shaping up to be the best-attended yet. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and network with your industry colleagues, and if you have yet to register your team please do so now. If you renew your membership in or join the Oregon Winegrowers Association, you are immediately eligible for a sharp price using OWA’s membership discount.
The OWB’s education committee, comprised of 20 industry volunteers, worked hard in 2018 to identify trends and challenges that are facing our industry, and last week’s Silicon Valley Bank State of the Industry webinar echoed some of these. Seminars that should be top of mind as you position your business to thrive in 2019 are Know Your Visitors: Find and Attract Quality Wine Tourists; Outlook on the Wine Sector: Managing the Changing Generational Demographic and Market Dynamics; Shaping Brand Architecture for Strategic Success; and Metrics that Matter: How to Leverage 2018 Data to Drive 2019 Success.
Augment your team’s education and join WISE Academy during Symposium week in Portland for two exclusive workshops to improve your DTC efforts in 2019. New spaces have recently been added to these seminars, sponsored by OWB and featuring faculty from the WISE Academy. Tasting Room Management Training will take place Feb. 11, with a DTC Metrics Intensive course scheduled for Feb. 14. OWB negotiated a cost of $55 per person per workshop compared to the regular price of about $800. There are just a few spots remaining for each so register now.
One of the education initiatives launched at the 2018 Oregon Wine Symposium was the Oregon Wine Profit Planner. Since this launch, the Profit Planner has been expanded into a suite of online Workbooks, freely accessible to anyone in the Oregon wine industry. These expense analysis and forecasting modules help vineyard and winery managers identify opportunities in each business’s unique cost centers and revenue streams. You should have received in the mail a postcard invitation to register for this tool, which you can do here.
See the Profit Planner in action at the 2019 Symposium. Two of our industry’s great accounting minds, Tara Bomberger, vice president of finance at A to Z Wineworks and Erik McLaughlin, director of Metis, will share finance insights and strategy through the Profit Planner with a small winery case study at the seminar titled The Bottom Line – How Understanding COGS Can Increase Your Profitability.
In case you missed it, in November the OWB hosted a four-part series of hour-long webinars detailing ways in which you can get the most out of the free Oregon Wine Profit Planner workbooks. One of your industry colleagues offered this assessment after a workbook session: “It’s a great example of helping us tiny wineries better manage our businesses.” If you want to view them, they have been recorded and archived on the industry site.
Lastly, a final reminder that TEXSOM International Wine Awards entries are due no later than Jan. 31, but if you want to take advantage of the OWB’s offer of free shipping on your entries, those need to be shipped no later than this Friday, Jan. 25.
Thank you to all of you who contribute so much and readily support the OWB education initiatives; we are guided by your continued feedback. I look forward to seeing many of you at Symposium in just a few weeks.
Both days of the Oregon Wine Symposium begin with inspirational and informational speakers. On Tuesday, join Sandra Taylor, author of The Business of Sustainable Wine, who will focus on global trends and local opportunities in brand equity building and business sustainability. The perennially popular Climatology Report with Dr. Greg Jones starts the day off right on Wednesday.
Taste “Oregon Solidarity” Wines at the Soirée
Be one of the first to taste the newly bottled Oregon Solidarity 2018 Rosé of Pinot noir, Rogue Valley, at the Oregon Wine Symposium Soirée on Tuesday, Feb. 12. The three bottlings of Oregon Solidarity wines will be released later this year (rosé on March 1, Chardonnay on June 1, and Pinot noir on August 1).
TEXSOM International Wine Awards: Free Shipping | New Deadline: Jan. 25
OWB is partnering with FedEx to provide free FedEx Ground shipping on Oregon entries to the TEXSOM International Wine Awards. Due to the program’s popularity, the deadline has been extended to Jan. 25.
The OWB has compiled a package to support distributors participating in Oregon Wine Month this May, offering the tools you need to make the pitch on the Oregon Wine Month Toolkit. Distributors interested in participating in Oregon Wine Month 2019 must complete the Distributor Commitment Form by Feb. 1.
Oregon Wine Month Distributor Incentives in Boston and New York City | Deadline: Feb. 1
Don’t leave money on the table! New York City and Boston are target markets for Oregon Wine Month 2019, and we’re offering a special distributor incentive in those markets. Learn more and download a presentation highlighting the New York and Boston Oregon Wine Month package and enroll your distributors by Feb. 1.
Oregon Wine Month Webinar | Feb. 21
Attend the Oregon Wine Month 2019 webinar on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. to learn about this year’s program and how to make the most of the resources available to you. The OWB marketing team will present the elements of the 2019 activity plan, including consumer advertising and promotions, restaurant engagement, retailer programs, regional association activities and point of sale materials.
Sign up to Pour at Total Wine During Oregon Wine Month
Total Wine & More is planning to celebrate Oregon Wine Month this May in their 193 stores across 20 states. During this focused period, they want to bring as many Oregon wineries as possible to their stores to pour for shoppers. Wineries with placements in Total Wine are invited to sign up for in-store tasting events at locations around the country.
Van Duzer Corridor AVA Materials Now Available on the Resource Studio
With the new Van Duzer Corridor AVA becoming official on Jan. 13, we’ve added a map and presentation materials for Oregon’s 19th AVA to the Oregon Wine Resource Studio.
EDUCATION
2018 Oregon Vintage Report Conference | Feb. 6
Linfield College is hosting the 2018 Oregon Vintage Report, a one-day conference where speakers will unfold the 2018 growing season in Oregon. The Vintage Report is an excellent opportunity to learn about the most exciting themes in modern winegrowing and reflect on the previous year’s growing season. Register to reserve your spot.
Limited spots remain for the two OWB-sponsored WISE Academy workshops during Symposium week. Register now to attend Tasting Room Management Training on Feb. 11 and DTC Metrics Intensive on Feb. 14.
Linfield Wine Lecture Series: Sandra Taylor | Feb. 15
The Linfield Wine Lecture Series is hosting renowned author and wine sustainability expert Sandra Taylor from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 15. Taylor will present on business practices and current sustainability themes in the wine industry. Admission is free and open to the public; a reception will follow.
RESEARCH
Silicon Valley Bank’s 2019 State of the Industry Report and Webinar
Silicon Valley Bank recently published its annual State of the Wine Industry report and hosted a webinar to discuss the findings. The report calls out Oregon’s continued double-digit growth but warns more broadly about a softening of the fine wine market, driven by generational trends and a decline in the growth rates of premium priced wines.
Register for OWRI Grape Day | April 3
Join OWRI at Oregon State University in Corvallis on April 3 for Grape Day, their annual event highlighting research relevant to the Oregon wine industry. The event provides industry members with an opportunity to network and discuss research with OSU researchers and invited speakers. Register by March 3 for Early Bird pricing.
January 2018 Weather and Climate Forecast
On Jan. 2, Dr. Greg Jones of Linfield College published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at December conditions and forecasts conditions for January, February and March.
CALLS FOR WINE
Share Your Stories with Paul Gregutt of Wine Enthusiast
Paul Gregutt of Wine Enthusiast magazine wants to hear from Oregon winemakers more regularly. He says, “by so doing, wineries become eligible for in-person visits and inclusion in many other features and stories.”
OPPORTUNITIES
2019 Women’s Farm to Food Business Competition | Deadline: Jan. 31
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, in conjunction with Oregon and Washington’s Departments of Ag, invites applications into its 2019 Women’s Farm to Food Business Competition. Women entrepreneurs from Oregon and Washington will compete for a total of $40,000 to help them launch, grow or scale their businesses.
2019 Specialty Crop Block Grant Cycle Open | Deadline: Jan. 31
The ODA is accepting proposals for the 2019 Specialty Crop Block Grant program, with applications due at noon on Jan. 31.
2019 Wine Country Plates Grant Cycle Opens Jan. 23 | Deadline: Feb. 22
Travel Oregon will begin accepting 2019 Wine Country Plates grant applications on Jan. 23, with applications due Feb. 22. These grants are available to non-profit organizations for projects promoting wine and/or culinary tourism. Requests for letters of support are due to OWB by Feb. 8.
Wine Spectator 2019 Advertising Opportunities
Wine Spectator is offering three cooperative advertising opportunities in 2019, providing exposure in the magazine at a more affordable price than standalone advertising. Up to nine first-come, first-served spaces are available per issue.
OTHER NEWS
OWA Annual Meeting: Jan. 30 (RSVP Requested)
The Oregon Winegrowers Association will hold its annual meeting on Jan. 30 followed by a legislative reception. This is a great opportunity to learn about OWA’s 2019 legislative priorities, compliance issues and member benefits, and to share industry goals and concerns with decision-makers.
2018 Vintage Report for North Willamette Valley
On Jan. 3, Dr. Greg Jones of Linfield College published a summary of the 2018 vintage, derived from weather and phenological observations from 12 locations across the north Willamette Valley.
Oregon Wine History Archive Publishes Nearly 300 Video Interviews
Congratulations to Rich Schmidt and his team at the Oregon Wine History Archive at Linfield College, who recently published 290 videos as part of their oral histories initiative. The short videos each focus on one of 26 themes and span the entirety of the state’s winegrowing regions. Production of these videos was made possible in part by a series of grants from the OWB and TOWER, the Trust for Oregon Wine Education and Research.
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