OCTOBER 15, 2025

A Note from the OWB Team

Dear Industry Colleagues:

As harvest winds down, we reflect on a vintage that brought both great promise and unparalleled challenge. We are committed to supporting our resilient community of growers and winemakers with timely promotional support, data and educational opportunities during these unprecedented times. With that in mind, we invite your participation in two ways this fall:

1. Announcing the OWB 5-Year Strategic Plan The Oregon Wine Board directors and staff are pleased to invite all industry members to a 1-hour webinar on Friday, November 7 at 1 p.m. to release our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. This session will outline our priorities for the next five years and share how we will focus our resources in support of our new strategic pillars, based on input you shared with us earlier this year.

Please register here. The presentation will be recorded for those unable to attend live.

2. Economic Impact Study – We Need Your Input! As we work to communicate the state of our industry, we’re asking every Oregon vineyard and winery to take part in the current Economic Impact Study. Reliable data is critical to demonstrating our industry’s value and quantifying the real headwinds we’re facing. This report provides information that can be used to educate policymakers, media, and potential funding partners, helping access resources and programs to address those challenges.

Your participation ensures we can accurately measure Oregon wine’s full economic footprint. Please have your owner, GM, or financial lead complete the survey by November 15.

Together, we can make sure our industry’s impact is seen, heard, and supported.

–Your Oregon Wine Board Directors and Team

Marketing

OWB Accepting Marketing Committee Applications (Deadline Nov. 15)

Join our marketing committee and help elevate brand Oregon Wine. Learn more and submit your application here.

Oregon Wine Touring Guide 2026-2027 Now Available

Oregon Wine Board is proud to unveil the 2026-27 edition of the Oregon Wine Touring Guide, now available for industry members. This publication helps people explore Oregon’s diverse wine regions and inspires them to travel throughout the state. The Oregon Wine Touring Guide makes a wonderful addition to any tasting room. Order a complimentary 40-count case for your tasting room and view the digital version.

Share Your Oregon Story. Come Over October.

As the Come Over October campaign continues, help us keep the momentum going by showcasing how Oregon wine helps people connect. Use the Share Your Oregon Story. Come Over October Toolkit for ready-to-use assets and inspiration.

Post your October events, promotions, and behind-the-scenes moments, and don’t forget to tag @OregonWineBoard and use #OregonWine and #ComeOverOctober so we can amplify your story.

International Events Registration – Open Now

OWB’s 2026 International Events Registration is now open. OWB’s robust calendar will take place across six countries with trade tastings in Sweden, Norway, The UK, Mexico and Korea and participation in the largest wine trade shows at Wine Paris, Prowein and Vinexpo Hong Kong. For more information and to register visit our International Marketing page. These events are a good opportunity to expand your international presence and to explore new markets for those new to export. Registration is open to all wineries. Contact Margaret at [email protected] for inquiries and questions.

Education

BOLI Workplace Rights Training Webinars

In collaboration with Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Oregon’s Farmworker Union, and the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) is offering free, public trainings focused on immigrant workers’ rights under Oregon law. Spanish: Oct. 29, 6-7 p.m. (Link to join) English: Nov. 12, 6-7 p.m. (Link to join)

Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research Conference: Nov. 18-19

The Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research (NCSFR) annual conference will take place Nov. 18-19 in The Dalles, OR. The NCSFR conference provides a premier platform for updates about research priorities, discussing the latest industry research findings, and the future direction of the organization. Visit the NCSFR website to see the draft agenda, reserve your spot, or book a room. Pesticide credits available for some presentations.

Seeking 2025 Winery Trials

The Oregon Wine Symposium’s Enology Program Committee is looking for any winery running a trial during the 2025 vintage that may yield wines to showcase at Symposium in February 2027. If you’re planning winery trials this fall and would be willing to bottle samples of your experiments to share with winemakers around the state, please send Jess Willey, OWB Director of Research & Education, a short note.

Research

Complete the Oregon Wine Economic Impact Study (Deadline: Nov. 15)

As mentioned above, broad participation in the biannual Economic Impact Study ensures we can accurately measure Oregon wine’s full economic footprint—including jobs, wages, and wine tourism impact. Please ask your owner, GM, or financial lead to complete the survey by November 15.

More information, including FAQs and a preview of the survey, can be found on our website, or you can get started here. All data is aggregated and kept completely confidential by OWB’s research partners.

SVB State of the Industry Survey (Deadline: Oct. 27)

Silicon Valley Bank is conducting their annual State of the Industry survey to gather and provide metrics, insights and trends in the wine industry. All respondents who fully complete the survey will receive insights into current strategies and tactics, a summary analysis of the survey, and more than 80 charts wineries can use to benchmark their performance.

Sign up for the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force Newsletter

The September edition of the “Spotlight” newsletter from the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force (WCSETF) is available to read here. If you’d like to receive the newsletter directly when it is published, sign up here.

Sign up for the Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research Newsletter

Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research (NSCFR) has published the summer edition of its quarterly newsletter, with updates on Pacific Northwest research, news, USDA funding, and awardees. If you’d like to get future editions sent directly to your inbox, sign up here.

October 2025 Weather and Climate Forecast

Dr. Greg Jones recently published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at September conditions and forecasts conditions for October, November, and December.

Press and Media

Media Highlights

Congratulations to the eight Oregon Wines on the JamesSuckling Top 100 Wines of the USA list, including the #2 and #4 best wine in the USA! Check out the entire Top 100 list here.

Forbes just named Oregon wine country one of the most memorable places to visit in October.

Food & Wine Magazine recognized Oregon as a premier sparkling wine region.
The breathtaking landscapes in the Willamette Valley and the Walla Walla Valley AVAs rival that of the French countryside, says Justin Goldman at AFAR.

The Manual named the Willamette Valley the new hotspot for world-class sparkling wine.

Calls for Wine

2025 OregonEast Wine Awards, Deadline October 30, 2025 — exclusively open to Oregon wineries located east of the Cascades

Opportunities

Please Share: Oregon Wine Symposium Sponsorship Opportunities

The Oregon Wine Symposium is back February 3-4, 2026, in Portland! Sponsorships are a vital part of enabling the event, and a great way for vendors and service providers to show their support for the Oregon wine industry. Details on sponsor opportunities can be found here — please share with any businesses you work with who may be seeking more visibility in Oregon.

Oregon Wine Industry Awards – Nominations are open through Friday, Nov. 14

Each year, industry members are recognized for their contributions to the Oregon wine industry. Nominations for the Oregon Wine Industry Awards are open year-round, with a submission deadline of November 14, 2025. Submissions received by the deadline will be considered for awards which will be presented early the following year. Learn more and submit nominees here.

“Wine Characters” Interview Opportunity

Carl Giavanti is a winery publicist and publisher of “Wine Characters,” an international winemaker interview series that profiles the stories of winemakers and their wines. Carl is interested in promoting and featuring Oregon in this ongoing interview series. If you’d like to participate, email [email protected] to request the interview document and instructions. Carl sends these interviews to U.S. wine media for story opportunities. Check out his last campaign where he featured eight Washington winemakers. Visit winecharacters.com to learn more.

Other News & Information

OWB Industry Grant Program (Next Application Deadline: Nov. 5)

The Oregon Wine Board has revised its industry grant program for FY2025–26, increasing the maximum award amount up to $10,000 per applicant. These grants are designed to support Oregon-based not-for-profit wine organizations in hosting and promoting wine-related events and programming that benefit regions, engage consumers, and strengthen connections with wine lovers. Read full details and access the submission form. To be considered at the next Board of Directors Meeting in December, applications must be submitted to OWB by on or before November 5.

Wine Industry Events

Dream Big Darling Tour 2025: Oct. 28, 5:30 p.m., Dayton
Indie Wine Mixer – Thanksgiving Edition: Nov. 23, 12-4 p.m., McMinnville

OWB Events

Industry event calendar | Consumer event calendar | Post an event

OWB Public Board Meetings

December 5 | In-person (OWB Office – 5550 S. Macadam Ave., Suite 100, Portland) | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Zoom link For questions about OWB Board Meetings, contact [email protected].

Other Events

November 7 | OWB Strategic Plan Roll-Out Virtual Meeting | 1–2 p.m. | Register Reminder: Add your industry and consumer events to the OWB’s events calendars!

5550 S. Macadam Avenue, Suite 100 Portland, OR 97239 503.967.8978