OWB Annual Report
Dear Friends,
Your Board of Directors and professional staff at the Oregon
Wine Board (OWB) advanced several key initiatives in fiscal year
2011-2012 and worked under new executive leadership to add further
skills and critical competencies supporting Oregon's rapidly
growing global wine business.
We made significant progress in renewing our commitment to the
three essential elements of OWB's charter: Marketing, Education and
Research. The intent of this Annual Report is to provide a summary
of Oregon Wine Board activities and financials for the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012.
In partnership with our wineries and vineyards, the Oregon Wine
Board worked to spread the word about the exceptional quality of
Oregon wines around the world. The Oregon Wine Board's
international marketing efforts focused on expanding availability
and sell-through of Oregon wines in Asia and the United Kingdom. On
the domestic front, we hosted visiting journalists and re-launched
the Oregon Wine Month promotion, which kicked off with a successful
consumer event in April 2012, to drive additional retail and
restaurant support for our wines.
The Education and Member Service aspects of OWB's commitment
were primarily fulfilled by the annual Oregon Wine Industry
Symposium. The event has expanded over the years and relocated to
Portland in February 2012, which enabled increased attendance and
media coverage. The move to Portland, and the two-day Symposium
program, was well-received based on ratings and feedback from
attendees and confirmed by sponsorship revenue growth versus prior
years.
Nearly a quarter-million dollars was invested in viticulture and
enology research projects that will guide winemakers and growers
across the state. The results of the winegrowing and winemaking
research are helping propel the increased quality ratings of Oregon
wines (See page 6 for details.)
The following pages review some of the priority programs
supporting Oregon wine, and provide insight into the investments
being made for the future.
With warm regards,
Oregon Wine Board Directors and Staff
Click here for the Annual Report.