It’s been a busy start to the new year, as you might surmise by the amount and variety of messages you’ve been receiving from the team here at the Oregon Wine Board. I’d like to call your attention to a few of the more time-sensitive points, to make sure you haven’t missed any of these messages and deadlines.
First, as you have hopefully heard by now, we are taking Oregon Wine on the road to Los Angeles in April. We are in the final phases of selecting a venue and a date, which will either be April 24 or April 25. We will open winery registration this Friday morning, Jan. 19 at 11 a.m., so watch your email for further instructions and final event details. If you’d like to read more about the trade and consumer elements of this event, our partnership with Feast Portland, and some early details regarding winery registration, see the OWB blog.
Second, there are two important, Oregon wine industry-specific studies that are currently being conducted, and your participation is requested and encouraged. Results from both will be presented at the Oregon Wine Symposium next month, so timing is of the essence. The validity of the data depends on broad participation, so we are appreciative of your time in ensuring these studies provide robust information that supports our industry as a whole.
Oregon Wine Industry Economic Impact Study. Conducted every three years, this study provides information such as the overall contribution of our industry to the state’s economy and the number of jobs our industry creates, which is critical for communicating with legislators and the media, supporting investments, and applying for loans and grant funding. Participate in the confidential study being conducted by Full Glass Research and sponsored by the OWB through the links on the OWB blog.
Oregon Wine Labor and Salary Survey. This study is modeled after the broader Wine Business Monthly study and aims to provide more reliable information about Oregon’s particular pay rates and salaries for positions throughout the vineyard and winery. The OWB education committee is responding to industry demand for this kind of information, and has enlisted Linfield College to conduct and analyze the anonymous survey. Start the survey.
Finally, Oregon Wine Month is not until May, but there is an important deadline coming up in just a couple of weeks. Distributors located in Oregon and in other markets around the country need to commit to participate in Oregon Wine Month by Feb 1. By completing the commitment form, your distributor will be notified about opportunities to order point of sale, be invited to an Oregon wine masterclass webinar, and receive other information and assets from the OWB regarding the Oregon Wine Month program. Information to help you pitch Oregon Wine Month to your distributor, the commitment form, and a list of those who have already committed can be found on the Oregon Wine Month Toolkit. You can also learn more here. Further program assets, tools and information for wineries will be available in early February.
Cheers,
Jess Willey
Director of Marketing
SYMPOSIUM
Register Your Team Today for the 2018 Oregon Wine Symposium
Registration is open for the 2018 Oregon Wine Symposium, Feb. 20-21 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. The Symposium is a must-attend event for everyone from winery and vineyard owners to sales managers, vineyard managers to marketers, winemakers to tasting room staff. The Symposium also features the Northwest’s biggest wine industry trade show with more than 180 exhibitors. Register your team today.
MARKETING
Winery Registration to Open Jan. 19 for April Oregon Wine Event in Los Angeles
The OWB is partnering with Feast Portland to host a trade and media tasting, consumer tasting and trade education seminar in Los Angeles during the week of April 23. Winery registration will open on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. and will be first-come, first-served with 50 spots allocated to producers around the state. Read more about this initiative.
Registration is now open for Taste Oregon, April 9-10 in Toronto. Join OWB as we return to Toronto to build on the success and momentum of the 2017 show. There will be two days of events including trade and consumer tastings, a salmon bake, opportunities for educational seminars and winemaker dinners and more. Space is limited, so register now to confirm your spot in Toronto by the Jan. 31 deadline. Get more information or register.
Oregon Wine Month Distributor Commitment Form Due Feb. 1
Get your in-state and out-of-state distributors on board for Oregon Wine Month. In order for distributors to receive shipped Oregon Wine Month POS, they must fill out the distributor commitment form by Feb. 1. A pitch deck for use with your distributors is also available. Learn more and get the commitment form link.
City Winery Named 2018 Oregon Wine A-List Award Wine Program of the Year
The Oregon Wine A-List Awards recognize restaurants across the world displaying enthusiasm for Oregon wine and a deep appreciation of the diverse regions, varieties and producers of Oregon. This year, 129 restaurants have been designated Oregon Wine A-List restaurants and City Winery Restaurant Group has been named Oregon Wine A-List Wine Program of the Year. Learn more.
Order New Oregon Wines Fly Free Materials
To make Oregon Wines Fly Free a more effective sales tool in your tasting room we have developed a new suite of printed materials. The complete suite is available for complimentary order and delivery to all participating wineries. Preview and order the new materials, or join the program.
Winery Registration to Open Friday for April Oregon Wine Event in Los Angeles
The OWB is partnering with Feast Portland to host a trade and media tasting, consumer tasting and trade education seminar in Los Angeles during the week of April 23. Winery registration will open on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. and will be first-come, first-served with 50 spots allocated to producers around the state. Read more about this initiative.
EDUCATION
2018 Silicon Valley Bank State of the Industry Webinar Jan. 17
Join Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank as he leads a panel of industry experts to present SVB’s annual State of the Industry Report. This free webinar takes place on Jan. 17 at 9:30 a.m. Learn more and get registration link.
Tasting Room Hospitality Course Jan. 22
The Oregon Wine Education Center presents a deep dive into the Willamette Valley’s unique terroir and winemaking styles, from soil, to vineyard, to bottle. This course will help tasting room staff connect with more discriminating wine buyers. This is a TRACH Level II course, taught by Certified Sommelier Charles Hesson from Alexana Winery. Learn more and register.
OWA FedEx Webinar on D2C Shipping and Compliance Jan. 31
OWA members are invited to attend a webinar featuring FedEx’s domestic and international state wine shipping specialists, who will discuss how to ship direct to consumer, current processes, and what common carriers are doing to abide by regulations. The webinar will provide wineries with tools and resources to help ensure positive business growth through enhanced knowledge of direct to consumer shipping. Learn more and register.
WISE Academy Courses Starting Week of Feb. 5
The Wine Industry Sales Education (WISE) Academy is hosting two courses in Dayton in early February: a 2-day People Management Course on Feb. 5 and 8, and a 1-day DTC Metrics Intensive on Feb. 9. Receive 15% off registration using code OWB15. Get more information and registration links for the People Management Course or DTC Metrics Intensive.
2017 Oregon Vintage Report Conference Feb. 8
ETS Laboratories and Fruition Sciences will co-host the inaugural 2017 Oregon Vintage Report in McMinnville on Feb. 8. The conference will review innovative techniques to grow terroir-driven wines, conduct in-depth panel conversations on climate and plant physiological conditions during the 2017 vintage in Oregon, and discuss new approaches to winegrowing from around the world. Learn more and register.
Effective Vineyard Spraying Workshop with Dr. Andrew Landers Feb. 22
OWB is sponsoring multiple award winner, author and agricultural engineer Dr. Andrew Landers, who will speak about effective vineyard spraying at Chemeketa Community College’s Yamhill Campus in McMinnville on Feb. 22. This full day practical workshop will cover all aspects of vineyard spraying and will be presented with Spanish translation available. Growers will learn how to spray correctly, efficiently and at the right time. Only 25 spots are available in each language. Learn more and register.
Upcoming Travel Oregon 101 Sessions
Several Travel Oregon 101 sessions are scheduled for early 2018 around the state. Travel Oregon 101 seminars are free and offer an overview of Oregon’s travel and tourism industry, designed to help visitor-related organizations and businesses take advantage of the many opportunities offered by Travel Oregon. Learn more and register.
RESEARCH
Oregon Wine Economic Impact Study – Your Participation Needed
The OWB requests your active participation in updating our industry’s Economic Impact Study. This update, conducted every three years, provides documented evidence of our industry’s importance to the state’s economy. Only aggregated data gathered in these surveys will be used and no individual winery or vineyard data will be shared. Learn more and take the survey.
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. 3. Learn more and get survey link.
Viticulture and Enology Grant Proposals Due Jan. 31
The Unified Grant Management for Viticulture and Enology system at the University of California is ready to accept research funding proposals for six granting bodies, including the OWB. Researchers are advised to apply to all the agencies appropriate for their project using a single online proposal application. All grant proposals must be submitted by Jan. 31. View grant criteria.
January 2018 Weather and Climate Forecast
On Jan. 5, Dr. Greg Jones of Linfield College published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at December conditions, provides an updated drought watch, and forecasts conditions for January, February and March. Read the report.
Research Update: Determining the Role of Auxin-Response Factor 4 in the Timing of Ripening Initiation in Vitis vinifera
Dr. Laurent Deluc, associate professor of grape genomics at OSU and OWRI, has prepared an update on research he is leading into the role of Auxin-Response Factor 4 in the timing of ripening of Vitis vinifera. This project receives funding from the Oregon Wine Board as part of its viticulture and enology research grant program, as well as from the Erath Family Foundation and the Fermentation Initiative. Read Dr. Deluc’s research update here.
CALLS FOR WINE
Calls for Wine January – February
Carving out a little time now may net some good media gains and publicity for your wines in the new year. We’ve compiled a rundown of writers, publications and competitions seeking wines and stories in the next two months. View all submission opportunities.
OPPORTUNITIES
USDA Value Added Producer Grant Application Period Open Through Jan. 31
USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for its Value Added Producer Grant program. The grants can be used to create new product lines from raw agricultural products, to develop additional uses for already developed product lines, or to market value-added agricultural products. Independent producers and agricultural producer groups are among those encouraged to apply for a grant before the Jan. 31 deadline. Find out more and learn how to apply.
Oregon Wine Country Plates Matching Grants Program to Open Late January
It’s not too early to begin preparing for the coming license plate grant cycle, set to open late January and administered by Travel Oregon. Oregon Wine Country Plates Grant projects must complement wine and culinary tourism promotion. Projects are encouraged, but not required, to align with Travel Oregon’s key initiatives. Learn more about the application process.
OTHER NEWS
Calling Oregon’s Malbec Growers & Winemakers
JP Valot, OWB Director and winemaker at Silvan Ridge Winery in Eugene, would like to add your name to his list of those winemakers and growers interested in collaborating to promote Oregon Malbec. Contact JP to find out more.
Cultivating Change Foundation Reception Feb. 2
The Foundation’s mission is to value and elevate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the agricultural industry through advocacy, education and community. Join the Cultivating Change Foundation for a reception with hors d’oeuvres, drinks and conversation on Feb. 2 in Portland. Learn more.
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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