Dear Friends,
When I came to the Oregon Wine Board in 2011, it was my first experience with an ag. commission or any non-profit organization. My career up to that time had included roles in New York and here in the Northwest with Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Those jobs prepared me to meet most of OWB’s wide range of expectations and demands.
But I was not expecting the warmth of the welcome you extended and the ferocious commitment you’ve made to advancing Oregon’s reputation with a single-minded focus on grape and wine quality.
Over the past several years, our industry has tripled in size. Oregon has added seven new AVAs, and we have collectively experienced a heat dome, ongoing labor and water shortages, a pandemic, record-setting Symposia, unexpected frost, and catastrophic wildfires. While my predecessor at OWB was in the position for about a year, I have been gifted more time to forge memorable relationships, to work with extraordinary staff talent, and witness an historic arc that has placed Oregon in a coveted spot on the global wine map.
I doubt Oregon was ever held in higher esteem or been better positioned to compete.
However, this isn’t a forever job. I will be turning the page and moving on in January. OWB’s Directors will have more news soon about the comprehensive search process they have in mind to recruit the next Executive Director and the opportunities they will provide for the industry to participate.
In the meantime, I have to thank you for the friendships, the many, many good times, and for providing a livelihood that enabled Jenny and I to raise a healthy, growing family.
We will always be right here among Oregon’s loudest cheerleaders and your most loyal fans.
Tom Danowski
Marketing
OWB Marketing
Pair It Forward Social Media Campaign Continues
The #PairItForward social media campaign, promoting wineries and their favorite food and wine pairings through short videos, is continuing beyond Oregon Wine Month. This allows us to feature the large number of well-produced videos. OWB is posting a new video every Friday throughout the summer, so follow us on Instagram to see and share all the fun pairings and visit the Pair It Forward toolkit to learn how to participate.
Register Now for Oregon Wine Month ’23 Recap and ’24 Planning Meeting | Aug. 15 at 11 a.m.
Please join us as we recap promotional efforts from Oregon Wine Month 2023. We will look at robust national business results from this year’s campaign for all trade channels including DtC, on and off premise depletion data, scan data, and more. Additionally, we will look at results from digital marketing and our social media efforts. We will discuss 2024 planning in an open forum. Register here.
Wine Industry Insights
Gomberg, Fredrickson & Associates Wine Industry Network Webinar | June 22 at 9 a.m.
Join Jon Moramarco, a partner in and the editor of the Gomberg Fredrikson Report; and the Managing Partner of bw166, for our Q2 GFA webinar. Some key topics include a recap of 2022 market trends, data anomalies due to the pandemic, and market outlook for the balance of 2023. For more information on this report, click here. Register for the webinar here.
IWSR’s Latest Findings: Sustainability Concerns Drive Interest in Organic, Natural, and Alternative Wines
Sustainability concerns have become more elevated amongst wine drinkers over the past year, which has translated into a growing consumer interest in organic, natural, and other alternative wines such as fairtrade, biodynamic, carbon-neutral, SO2 free, and cannabis-infused. Read more.
How to Attract Millennials and Not Alienate Boomers
In this pre-recorded 45-minute webinar, panelists discuss generational motivations and the psychology currently at play in this unprecedented generational shift. They provide specific and concrete ideas on how to appeal to today’s new curiosity seekers without risking the stability of your existing loyal fanbase.
Education
Oregon Statewide Summer DtC Townhall | Recording Available
On June 13, winery owners, tasting room, and wine club managers gathered online for a statewide townhall to review the spring DtC and tasting room data and share insights to prepare for the busy summer months. This townhall co-hosted by OWB and regional associations included presentations from Community Benchmark and WISE Academy. Watch the recording or read the presentation deck. To reacquaint yourself with this program, visit the Community Benchmark Toolkit.
2023 Oregon Wine Symposium I Presentations and Recordings Available
The 2023 Oregon Wine Symposium offered attendees a rich menu of seminars on topics from business and marketing to viticulture and enology. OWB is now making recordings and presentations available to any of its industry members. View all Symposium content here. Specific topics can be filtered and searched for in the RESOURCES section of the OWB industry website.
Biodynamic Masterclass Open to Oregon Industry Members I July 27-29
Join international and domestic (including Oregon) wine producers and leaders in biodynamic viticulture for three days of masterclasses and tastings at the Quintessa estate in Napa Valley, California. Large and small biodynamic producers from around the world will share insights and knowledge. Biodiversity and terroir specialists will offer a perspective on viticulture in today’s changing environment. With a focus on practices and principles that build vineyard health and resilience, this immersive and conversational symposium is ideal for wine producers, consultants, viticulturists, sommeliers, and wine educators. Register here.
Press and Media
Press Highlights
Oregon Shines Bright at the Decanter 2023 World Wine Awards
Newly published results highlight Oregon Pinot noir among the world’s top 50 wines. Two major achievements for the Dundee Hills AVA with Archery Summit’s Pinot noir 2021 winning Best in Show, (last awarded to the state in 2020), and Domaine Serene’s Two Barns Vineyard Pinot noir 2019 winning one of the four gold medals that were awarded to U.S. wines. Visit awards.decanter.com for the full list of winners.
Sip Magazine Seeks Wines for Best of the Northwest Competition
Sip Magazine has opened its registration early for the 12th Annual Best of the Northwest wine competition. Wines submitted will be held in a temperature-controlled wine storage in Seattle until the competition is held in October. Learn more.
Wine Enthusiast Seeks New Oregon Releases of Any Variety
Michael Alberty is seeking Oregon wines from any variety for Wine Enthusiast. If you have not sent wines to him recently, he would like to hear from you first. Learn more.
Research
Viticulture & Enology
June 2023 Weather and Climate Forecast
Dr. Greg Jones recently published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at May conditions and forecasts conditions for June, July, and August.
2023 Virtual Smoke Summit Webinar Recording
The West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force Annual Smoke Summit took place virtually on Wednesday, June 7. This year’s summit featured prominent researchers sharing their insights and recent discoveries on the impacts of wildfire smoke, updates from the USDA Agricultural Research Service on their research activities and future initiatives, and the latest information regarding crop insurance policies and revisions specifically addressing smoke-related concerns. The recording of the summit is available here.
Industry Research
UCLA Studies Claim Organic Wines Taste Better
Two UCLA studies on Organic Wines: Do eco-friendly wines taste better? and Evidence mounts that eco-friendly wine tastes better were referenced in a recent Wine Searcher article Why Organic Wine Tastes Better. These studies proved that organically certified wines scored 6.2 percent higher whilst Biodynamically certified wines – which don’t just eschew chemicals, but also require growers to plant and harvest at certain times and integrate animals and native plants into a holistic and closed-loop farming system – earned 11.8 percent higher scores.
Opportunities
Travel Oregon Tourism Commission Briefing and Meeting | Recording Available
This meeting was held in person in Lakeview and live-streamed on Travel Oregon’s Industry YouTube channel. The meeting recording is now available. See public comments submitted in response to the Draft Strategic Plan. Find out more about the meeting here.
Uncork the Potential of Our Marketplace
Do you have a job to offer? Are you looking for grapes? The Oregon Wine Board Marketplace is a useful tool for getting the word out. Don’t miss out on this free resource. Let’s connect the industry by trading and thriving together!
Other News
¡Salud! Online Auction | July 11-13
¡Salud! Services is a clinical department of OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center and a project of the Hillsboro Medical Center Foundation. This relationship between vintners and physicians, united in their mission to provide vital healthcare services to the vineyard steward population, is unique to Oregon. Since 1992, the program has been fully funded from the proceeds of the annual ¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction and private donations. Become a bidder by June 30 and be entered to win a tasting for four from Beaux Frères! Bid online from anywhere on the very best Pinot Noir from 36 premiere Willamette Valley wineries.
New Travel Oregon Visitor Guide Now Available
Where to find the best waterfalls, wineries, mountain lakes, trails and beaches? The new 2023‑24 Travel Oregon Visitor Guide has everything to plan a trip in Oregon, plus a few insider tips. Order your free copy here.