The first Oregon Wine Trail event took place in Los Angeles on April 24. “Mastering Oregon,” a class taught by a Master of Wine and Master Sommelier, showcased eight varieties and nine AVAs to a packed room of 68 top tier trade buyers. More than 130 additional people were waitlisted for the class.
A trade and media walk-around tasting followed, attended by 242 industry professionals, during which three small educational pop-ups explored Oregon Pinot gris, Oregon sparkling wine and professional tasting techniques. These informal sessions allowed for more engagement with key trade as well as an opportunity to feature a greater diversity of Oregon producers, including those without distribution in the L.A. market. A consumer walk-around tasting with 279 attendees closed the program, generating $16,975 in revenue.
Winery participation was open on a first-come, first-served basis with a regional quota imposed by the OWB to ensure diversity of representation. Representatives from 50 Oregon wineries of all sizes traveled to L.A., filling quotas easily with more than 10 wineries assigned to the wait list.
Moving into 2018-19, we are planning our second event to take place in New York City in May. We are also exploring how to bring the Oregon Wine Trail concept to international focus markets.
Results:
- 97% Trade attendees reported they are “more likely to add Oregon wine to their business”
- 91% Consumers agreed their “knowledge of Oregon wine increased”
- 100% Winery representatives reported they were satisfied with the trade tasting (79% with the consumer tasting)
- 96% Winery reps agreed they would participate in future Oregon Wine Trail events
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