Dear Friends,
At the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) meeting earlier this month, Directors approved an operating budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year beginning July 1. The plan projects income of $2.2 million, down -11% versus the approved budget for the current year. It also anticipates a comparable reduction in overall expenses while still investing 16% more in Viticulture & Enology research than was built into this year’s plan.
It’s important to note that the published financials do not include an additional $1 million in funding OWB will access from successful grant applications which are administered externally.
OWB’s draft budget for next year was posted online for public comment six weeks ago and was also presented in detail via Zoom during an open discussion with the industry last month.
The 2022-23 spending plan is built around these seven focus areas consistent with the Board’s approved strategic plan:
expand, enhance, and enrich Oregon Wine Month
maintain media relations support for journalists to drive greater awareness and favorable coverage for Oregon
advance the recovery and evolution of Oregon’s post-pandemic wine tourism economy
increase the commitment to V & E Research
deliver Viticulture, Enology, and Business Education that balances effectiveness, impact, and cost efficiency
maximize enrollment in Community Benchmark’s/WISE Academy’s DtC analytics suite and management development system
promote the upgraded functionality of OWB’s redesigned oregonwine.org consumer website
The list above is not inclusive of all OWB activities, however. For instance, the management team will still design and execute a grant-funded calendar of International marketing events. We will sustain the Oregon Wine Flies Free partnership with Alaska Airlines, showcase Oregon wines again at TEXSOM, and continue to provide industry and marketplace data – including the annual Vineyard and Winery Report – and a refreshed Economic Impact Study.
With respect to marketplace data, OWB has made a commitment in its strategic plan to deliver Knowledge & Insights. Here’s a sample exhibit that answers questions we hear every so often about Oregon’s off-premise market share. As you can see below, Oregon’s share position in scanner stores has improved during the pandemic in the home market, on the West Coast, and across the country. Note the strength here in-state compared to the national average.
We’ll go further into Nielsen data for Oregon during OWB’s Zoom presentation, which is open to everyone today at 11 a.m. The recording will be up on our website soon if you can’t be with us today.
The upward trajectory for Brand Oregon is encouraging as we look towards May and Oregon Wine Month. Thanks to those who joined us when OWB presented the Wine Month support package via Zoom on March 1 (view the toolkit and the webinar recording). Feel free to pass on the link from the toolkit to friends, consumers, colleagues, and business partners so they can all register for the series of six online masterclasses starting on April 4 in anticipation of Wine Month.
Finally, management excellence in our industry has been recognized again, this time by the Portland Business Journal. Stoller Wine Group President Gary Mortensen is included on the Journal’s “Executives of the Year” list, and Eugenia Keegan was recognized as a “Woman of Influence.” The brand lineup under Gary’s stewardship includes Stoller Family Estate, Chehalem Winery, Chemistry, Canned Oregon, and History. The company continues to innovate, setting new standards for superior and memorable guest experiences. Eugenia was chosen because she, and Jackson Family Wines, are leaders in an Oregon wine industry that is delivering significant economic benefit to the state.
Congratulations Gary and Eugenia!
P.S. For wine business owners looking for ways to assist Ukraine and Ukrainians, relief organizations such as Razom Ukraine and United Help Ukraine deserve a look.
Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum x Change Cadet Presents Do the Work Series (Pt. 1)
As the Oregon wine industry looks toward expanding teams in the new year, a relevant article relating to diversity and inclusion appeared from Elaine Chukan Brown on JancisRobinson.com entitled Widening the wine world that is well worth a read. There is an opportunity to engage in a three-part workshop coming up in April with Dr. Akilah Cadet. The workshop is specifically for leaders working on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives in the wine industry who want to do the work of becoming accomplices and learn how to integrate anti-racism work into every aspect of their personal and professional lives. Sign up now to secure your spot.
WISE Academy Leads Regional Town Hall Discussions
Join WISE Academy founder Lesley Berglund for one of the upcoming regional discussions and assessments into the trends from Community Benchmark data collected from DtC and tasting room sales. These town hall-format sessions are for the three major regional areas in Oregon and will each run for ninety minutes:
Wednesday, March 30 (10:00 – 11:30 a.m.) – Walla Walla and Columbia Gorge (border AVAs): REGISTER
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Press and Media
Media Opportunities: Calls for Wine
JamesSuckling.com
All Oregon wineries are invited to submit three different skus of Oregon wine, any variety of new release that has not yet been reviewed by JamesSuckling.com, for the 2022 Oregon report. Deadline is March 31. Learn morePaul G on Wine
Paul G is doing a second call for rosé to be published on his new site Paul G on Wine. Deadline is March 31. Learn moreWine & Spirits
Seeking summer wines for the Aug. 22 issue. Deadline is April 1. Learn more
Research
March 2022 Weather and Climate Forecast
Dr. Greg Jones recently published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at February conditions and forecasts conditions for March, April, and May.
Opportunities
TEXSOM International Wine Awards Accepting Entries I April 24 Deadline
TEXSOM International Wine Awards (TIWA) is now accepting entry submissions for wine. With over 170 wines submitted in 2020, Oregon has garnered numerous awards and we look forward to continuing this momentum. OWB has partnered with Fed Ex to support this opportunity and can cover ground shipping of your wine entries. Please contact Trade Relations Manager David DeWitt or visit the OWB trade site for shipping details and instructions.
Nonprofit Announces Launch of National Applications for Flagship Internship Program
Our Legacy Harvested, a nonprofit founded in 2020 dedicated to educating, advancing, and empowering the BIPOC community at any career level within the wine industry, has opened its inaugural internship applications nationally for six interns beginning this fall. The internships will be four months long, with a specialty focused on either direct-to-consumer or wine production, and will be hired and paid for by a partnering winery. Scholarships will be provided by Our Legacy Harvested to cover housing, transportation, training, and Sunday Suppers.
Other News
SVB’s Annual Direct to Consumer Wine Survey I March 18 Deadline
In 2010, Silicon Valley Bank recognized the industry needed metrics to benchmark performance for this growing channel, and started producing a Direct to Consumer (DtC) survey – giving the resulting information away at no cost to the industry other than the small time required to fill out the survey, which takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. In exchange for your time, all participants will get the full information set. With sufficient responses, the Oregon Winegrowers Association will receive benchmarks to compare our success against the other major AVAs in the U.S. You can see this year’s questions here, and begin the survey here. If you have any questions, please contact Rob McMillan, the survey’s author.
OLCC Invites Wineries to Use Online Privilege Tax Portal
As the result of House Bill 2150, which was requested during the 2017 legislative session, OLCC’s Oregon Privilege Tax Online (OPTO) is a way for businesses who are required to file privilege taxes to submit their documentation and pay their fees through a web-based portal. Some license types are already reporting in the new system. OLCC will be onboarding wineries in the coming months. OLCC wants to work with the wine industry to make sure our partners are trained and prepared when the time comes to start reporting in the new online system. Learn more
Tom Danowski
President
