Oregon Wine Month is finally here and it’s thrilling to see all of the buzz and activity happening to celebrate. We have enlisted more than 150 Oregon restaurants to offer flights and pairings during May. There are also more than 150 tasting room events listed on the Oregon Wine Month event calendar. Our marketing team has pushed the word on all of these activities and more out to more than 26,000 consumer contacts. In case you missed it, there is still time to participate in driving awareness and Oregon wine sales during the month by doing these three things.
Thank you to those of you who helped make the Oregon Wine Trail seminar and tasting event in Los Angeles last month a success. 50 Oregon producers addressed a primary hurdle to market access by providing trial and awareness to more than 550 key trade contacts and enthusiastic consumers. The feedback from the event has been very positive and we were happy to see the interest in Oregon from the L.A. market. Oregon wineries also visited Toronto last month for another slate of seminars and tasting events as part of our international marketing program. Canada continues to be our largest export market and we have seen an overall growth in sales from our market activities over the last two years. Over the next few months we will be shifting from in-market programs to in-bound tours, including the Cross Boarder Media Tour, International Trade Tour for OPC, and the annual IPNC Media Tour to name a few.
If you haven’t heard already, the Oregon Wine Country Plates Matching Grants Program recently awarded $184,200 in funding for eight wine and culinary projects. From this pool the Oregon Wine Board and Willamette Valley Wineries Association were both awarded funding to develop detailed winery visitor profiles to aid in the development of strategic wine tourism marketing campaigns. While the WVWA project will focus exclusively on Willamette Valley visitors, the OWB project will cover the other growing regions in the state. Both projects are expected to help enhance regional winery associations tourism marketing efforts, and also provide valuable insights for Travel Oregon and our other tourism industry partners. The OWB will be partnering with Robert Parker and his research team at the University of Oregon to conduct the study and we expect to have a full report available in 12 months. Click here to see the listing of all grants recently awarded through the Oregon Wine Country Plates Matching Grants program.
Cheers! And Happy Oregon Wine Month!
Marie Chambers
Vice President, Finance & Administration
Oregon Wine Board
MARKETING
Oregon Wine Month is Happening
Oregon Wine Month is underway. Visit the industry toolkit for a description of all program elements as well as assets for print and download. View the industry toolkit.
2018 Oregon Wine Touring Guide Available
The 2018 Oregon Wine Touring Guide is available 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.
Oregon Wine in L.A. Master Class Available to Watch
As a part of the Oregon Wine Trail trade event in Los Angeles on April 24, OWB’s Bree Boskov MW and Chris Tanghe MS of GuildSomm presented Mastering Oregon. Attended by 70 qualified L.A.-area trade, this trade master class highlighted eight different varieties from nine Oregon AVAs. Watch the full class recording.
RESEARCH
OWRI Grapevine Red Blotch Disease Survey
The Oregon Wine Research Institute at Oregon State University is conducting a survey on Grapevine Red Blotch Disease to understand how widespread the disease is in Oregon and what educational information is needed by industry. The survey should not take more than a few minutes. Begin the survey.
OSU Agricultural Water Survey
Researchers at Oregon State University are reaching out to all produce growers in the state of Oregon to investigate water use practices in order to help farmers meet new federal requirements. A short survey has been created to better understand water practices on produce farms. Begin the survey.
May 2018 Weather and Climate Forecast
On May 5, Dr. Greg Jones of Linfield College published an updated weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at April conditions, provides an updated drought watch, and forecasts conditions for May, June and July. Read the report.
Participate in the 2017 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census
Help our industry gather accurate data, including grape prices by region and variety, by completing the annual vineyard and winery census survey questionnaire or directing the appropriate person at your vineyard or winery to do so. Researchers are standing by now for your data. Begin the survey.
CALLS FOR WINE
May Calls for Wine
There are a number of opportunities for media placements, including a celebration of dry-farmed Chardonnays for International Chardonnay Day, and calls for Cabernet Sauvignon in the Wine & Spirits holiday issue and WinePress NW. Read more and learn how to apply.
OPPORTUNITIES
Attend a Travel Oregon Tourism Listening Session
Travel Oregon, in partnership with Oregon’s seven regional destination management organizations (RDMOs), invites you to join one of 10 Oregon Tourism Listening Sessions across the state this spring. They want to hear from anyone who touches the tourism industry, including business owners, land managers, volunteers, nonprofits, policymakers and more, as we value all perspectives and opinions. Read more and register.
OTHER NEWS
Travel Oregon Wine Country Plates Grants Awards Announced
Travel Oregon has announced that eight projects have been awarded a total of $184,200 in grant funding through the Oregon Wine Country Plates Matching Grants Program for the 2018-19 cycle. The OWB and the Willamette Valley Visitors Association were both awarded grants to pursue wine country visitor insights. Read more about all award recipients.
2016 Economic Impact Report Released
OWB issued a press release on March 19 about the newest economic impact figures compiled by Full Glass Research. The preliminary numbers in the economic impact study, last conducted in 2013, measure the economic contributions the Oregon wine industry makes to the state, and is revealing impressive growth from the work of Oregon vintners in 2016. Read the press release and full report.
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.
Nice,Thank You for the information.