WINEAMERICA

The Oregon wine industry is a major magnet for tourists and tourism-driven expenses. Oregon’s “wine country” regions generates 2.36 million tourist visits and $801.99 million in annual tourism expenditures, benefiting local economies and tax bases. Become a member today! https://lnkd.in/gWBKx5bx

Oregon is an incredible success story when it comes to wine. Still young in terms of “wine years”, the state has been a leader in sustainability, varietal branding, industry leadership, and many other ways. Read more about this state's profile here: https://lnkd.in/e6F5Ttrp

WineAmerica works to ensure your winery saves on taxes. Thanks to the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, WineAmerica dues are a tiny fraction of your savings. Protect your business. Support WineAmerica. Join today. https://lnkd.in/e6nmQi83

The Joys of Judging Over the past 40 years, I’ve judged in about 300 wine competitions and tasted over 1,000,000 wines. It never gets old. That’s magic. Last week it was the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in Cloverdale, CA, with 5,500 wines and scores of judges. Over three full days, followed by Friday’s “Sweepstakes” round to pick the best of the best, we’d swirl, sniff, sip, spit, and savor to assess the quality of each wine. Cabs and Chards dominate in terms of entries, but there was a rainbow of colors, aromas, and tastes from all kinds of wines from all around the country. As an easterner, I always get what my California friends affectionately call “the weird wines” so I can explain to them before tasting what they should look for in terms of aroma and taste. More often than not, they’re surprised and delighted, and it’s fun to watch. In fact, during one flight of about 40 cold-hardy “Minnesota” white wines like Brianna, Edelweiss, and LaCrescent, our panel (me from New York, Ann Miller from Missouri, and Wilfred Wong from California) awarded nearly a third as Double Gold (unanimous) or Gold (majority). We weren’t being generous; they were simply that good. This is the result of years of viticultural and enological research, communication through extension, trial-and-error by winemakers, and entering the best wines in competitions. Covid greatly reduced the number and size of professional wine competitions, which is a shame. Independent, expert third-party endorsement is key to marketing wines, especially from unknown regions which will never get reviewed in major wine magazines. Yes, the entry fees, samples, and shipping costs can add up, but they can also be a sound investment in future growth. Thanks to everyone at “the Chronicle” for another great event, and to the wineries which entered.

A Tale of Three Presidents Monday marked the inauguration, and in an unusual twist it was the tale of three presidents. Joe Biden ceded the office to Donald Trump, and the legacy of Jimmy Carter was also present. The 39th president passed away on December 29 at 100 years of age, and the flag over the White House was still at half staff on January 20. Read more from our Policy Perspectives here: https://lnkd.in/eCv3-hN6

"A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover." – Clifton Fadiman Become a member today! https://lnkd.in/gWBKx5bx

WineAmerica is the only national wine industry association in the USA. We are a 500-member strong organization that encourages the growth and development of American wineries and wine growing through the advancement and advocacy of sound public policy. Visit our website for more information! www.wineamerica.org

There are 10,000 different types of grapes for wine, juice, fresh fruit and raisins. Wine is a magical elixir of aroma, bouquet and taste, but it’s also a global preserver of land, provider of jobs, and engine of economic impact. These are just a few of the fun facts in The Magic of Wine, which also has pages on quotes about wine, its agricultural roots, economic impact and much more. This is not just for you to enjoy, but to download, link to, and pass on to your friends and colleagues. https://lnkd.in/eWuTNBkq

WineAmerica first brought you the Small Producer Tax Credit in 1991. The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) followed, passed in 2017 and effective on January 1, 2018. Wineries now save up to $1 per gallon of wine sold, thanks to WineAmerica’s efforts. Become a member today! https://lnkd.in/e6nmQi83

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for ‘danger,’ the other for ‘opportunity.’” – John F. Kennedy In the early 1980s, the New York grape and wine industry was in an economic crisis due to a perfect storm of subsidized imports, corporate changes, changing consumer tastes and restrictive laws. The crisis was headlined in the New York Times regional section and on the cover of The Wine Spectator. Around the same time, Zinfandel grapes in California were left hanging or disappearing altogether. Read more from our latest article about Seizing the Opportunity of Crisis here: https://lnkd.in/eEn3yHGm