This is to anyone but is particularly intended for our industry colleagues in Southern Oregon. Please join the Oregon Wine Board and Oregon Winegrowers Association Directors for an informal reception with wines and hors d’oeuvres on Wednesday March 28 at 5 pm in Medford. Click here for more details and to RSVP. The reception precedes the next day’s regularly scheduled Board meetings at the Inn at the Commons.
As a follow up to last month’s Oregon Wine Symposium, a number of people expressed interest in learning more about a newer go-to-market option for wineries seeking broader, or more effective distribution. If you’ve heard of Liberation Distribution you might already know that it can assist emerging and maturing brands in finding a path to market within the three-tier system. Be advised however, that LibDib currently operates only in California and New York with additional markets expected to open in the future. To hear more about the mechanics of the program and their expansion plans, please register now to join the OWB’s one hour webinar with Tanya Riesbeck from LibDib, as well as Oregon’s own Meg Murray, founder of Nasty Woman Wines. It will be on March 21 at 10 am. Meg has kindly volunteered to share her perspective on what it’s like for an Oregon winery to work directly with LibDib. Christina DeArment from the OWB and I met with Tanya in person during the Symposium, and she was enthusiastic about this opportunity to speak in greater depth next Wednesday morning with Oregon brand owners about the company and its capabilities.
For wineries looking ahead to the spring and summer tourist seasons, don’t forget that the OWB’s newest Wine Country Touring Guide is available now for free in hard copy and also as a digital flipbook for those on your mailing lists and social feeds. See for yourself right here and remember you can order the four-color printed copies for your tasting room anytime. On a related note, as some who attended the Wine Symposium may recall, Christian Miller from Full Glass Research recently unveiled a preview of our industry’s next statewide Economic Impact Report. Christian’s final numbers are expected any day now, but one that jumps right out is the significance and continued expansion of our industry’s tourism footprint compared to just a few years ago. There is now nearly $800 million in annual tourism attributable to wineries, vineyards and related businesses versus just under $300 million in 2013. Stay tuned as we receive more from that study.
And since it is not often that we get to witness history on a scale such as this, I think you’ll be inspired by the following short video with news about the Grace and Ken Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield College. The Evenstad’s $6 million gift is the largest donation for wine studies in Oregon history and will, among other significant milestones, endow the Evenstad Chair in Wine Studies to be held by Dr. Greg Jones. Thank you Grace and Ken for investing in our industry’s future and in developing the talent that will help create it.
Whether or not your business has joined the Oregon Winegrowers Association, we hope you have read or heard about its work on behalf of growers and winemakers across the state. Click here for a short video that offers more information on the ways OWA can help you save money and enhance the value of your business.
Finally, some terrific news for Oregon was highlighted in Wine & Spirits magazine’s 29th annual Restaurant Wine Poll. The survey of on-premise decision makers from across the country reflects an enthusiasm rarely seen and wide recognition of the efforts made by Oregon’s grape growers and winemakers to deliver exceptional quality. The results position Oregon very competitively alongside the world’s most admired winegrowing regions. Click here for a post from the OWB’s Communications Manager Sally Murdoch summarizing the detailed report which appears in the latest edition of Wine & Spirits and which will provide fresh material for our next update of the Wine Board’s Resource Studio.
Cheers,
Tom Danowski
President
Oregon Wine Board
MARKETING
Oregon Wine Month Winery Checklist
May is less than two months away. Review the winery checklist to help generate buzz, activate your DTC audience, engage your distributors and more for a strong Oregon Wine Month 2018. Read the full checklist.
Submit Oregon Wine Month Association Events and Promotions
If your AVA or association is having a special event or promotion in April or May please share those event details with Kai McMurtry by March 15. Multi-winery events or promotions provide both OWB and media with events that can be promoted on a broader scale. Submitted events will be include in our Oregon Wine Month featured events page, which will receive focused promotion to our owned channels. Read more.
New 2018 Oregon Wine Touring Guide Available
The 2018 Oregon Wine Touring Guide is available now for complimentary order and delivery. This third edition of the guide is packed with new photography, editorial content and updated listings for more than 500 tasting rooms across the state. The 2018 guide is for wineries, hotels and other tourism related businesses. Order your case.
EDUCATION
Attend March 21 Webinar to Learn About a New Distribution Model
Are you struggling to find a distributor in California and/or New York? LibDib is changing alcohol distribution by offering a low-cost path to market as an alternative to the traditional winery/distributor relationship. Attend OWB’s Introduction to LibDib webinar on Mar. 21 from 10-11 a.m. Learn more and register.
April 4 Tractor Safety & Training Workshop
On April 4 David Jamarillo, Environmental Health and Safety Manager with Jackson Family Wines, will lead a practical workshop for tractor and UTV safety training. This workshop is being hosted by the Wine Studies Program at Chemeketa Community College in partnership with the Oregon Wine Board. Sessions are available in both English and Spanish. Register now.
OWB Presents Three WISE Academy Sales Workshops in April
OWB is pleased to offer WISE Academy Seven Secrets of Sales sessions, which cover: leveraging your brand, understanding the buyers’ continuum, positive profiling, building rapport, buying signals, codifying your sales successes, wine club features & benefits, asking for the order & capturing data. Registration opens March 1, and the course will be offered April 16, 17 and 18 in different locations. Choose your date.
OWB Grape & Wine Profit Calculator Workshop Registrations Open
OWB is proud to open registration for the Grape & Wine Profit Calculator workshops taking place March 26-28. The Profit Calculator tool was developed specifically for Oregon producers and is free to all Oregon producers. Built with the help of Oregon grape growers, winemakers, sales managers and data from the annual census report, this tool is a first for Oregon’s wine industry and was developed by OWB Education Manager, Bree Boskov MW, in conjunction with Tim Hanni MW and his wine business simulator program. Learn more and register.
RESEARCH
March 2018 Weather and Climate Forecast
On Mar. 5, Dr. Greg Jones of Linfield College published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at February conditions, provides an updated drought watch, and forecasts conditions for March, April and May. Read the report.
Research Update: Clonal Evaluation of Grape Powdery Mildew Resistance in a Heritage Pinot Noir Clone
Dr. Ron Runnebaum, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis, has prepared an update on research he is leading into the evaluation of grape powdery mildew resistance in a heritage Pinot noir clone and comparative wine fermentation, chemical and sensory analysis. This project receives funding from the Oregon Wine Board as part of its viticulture and enology research grant program. Read Dr. Runnebaum’s update.
Participate in the Oregon Wine Industry Salary Survey
The OWB and Linfield College are joining forces to conduct the first Oregon-centric salary study of the wine industry. Please participate in this anonymous survey so that the data collected are as robust as possible. Aggregated data will be shared at the Oregon Wine Symposium. The deadline to take the survey is Feb. 9. Learn more and get survey link.
CALLS FOR WINE
Calls for Wine Submissions: March
There are many opportunities to get your wines in front of more people this spring, including new media opportunities such as Wine & Spirits, Wine Press Northwest and more. View all opportunities and details.
OPPORTUNITIES
Regional Cooperative Tourism Program Grant Funding Available
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) and Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA) have developed and launched grant programs funded through Travel Oregon’s Regional Cooperative Tourism Program to enhance, expand and promote the visitor industry. Applications are currently being accepted for both programs. Learn more about each organization’s grant opportunities at their respective links above.
OTHER NEWS
Grace and Ken Evenstad Pledge $6 Million Gift to Linfield College
In a rousing celebration held at Portland’s Sentinel Hotel on Thursday, March 8, Linfield College officials and Domaine Serene winery staff announced Grace and Ken Evenstad’s gift of $6 million to Linfield College’s wine education program, the largest gift in Oregon history in support of wine education. Read the full story.
List or Search Grapes for Sale on the Marketplace
If you are looking for a buyer for your grapes, or are interested in buying grapes, don’t forget to check out the Marketplace on the OWB’s industry website. The Marketplace also includes listings for bulk wine, real estate, equipment and job opportunities. Post items for sale or visit the Marketplace to search items for sale.
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