Being a member of the OWA is the means by which true membership in the Oregon wine industry must be defined. - David Adelsheim, Adelsheim Vineyard
A Letter from the Executive Director Our Mission Dear Colleague, It was another banner year for the Oregon wine community. Annual economic impact surpassed $3.35 billion, validating the industry s position as a vital, high-profile growth sector propelling Oregon s reputation and economic future. The rewards of being a part of the Oregon wine community have never been higher, but with those rewards come equally high risks to the interests we all share. We know you are asked to participate in many industry groups, but the OWA is the only statewide organization scanning the horizon for emerging issues and advocating on the industry s behalf to legislators, regulators and stakeholders. For example, the OWA provides a voice for the industry when counties and cities seek to tax wine sales, and when difficult conversations take place about damage to grapevines from herbicide spraying. We ensure our members have timely access to legal guidance on evolving issues, such as protecting your business from questionable direct shipping enforcement actions and the requirements of a new sick leave law. The OWA also delivers exclusive pricing from vendors like FedEx and Office Depot, and discounts on Oregon Wine Symposium tickets and educational seminars. The Oregon Winegrowers Association advances and protects the investments of its Members. Harnessing the power of state-wide consensus, the OWA stands as a vital advocate for the health, growth and economic sustainability of Oregon s wine grape growing and wine production community. The OWA isn t funded by grape taxes, it is our industry trade organization and if you are not a member you have no voice in the most important regulatory, legislative and policy issues affecting Oregon s wine industry. Membership in the OWA is a smart investment and critical to our business plan. - Hilda and Earl Jones, Abacela Winery The OWA is funded by voluntary membership dues and currently fewer than half of the wineries and vineyards in the state support the critical work of the OWA. Your dues are calculated based on tons harvested and purchased. We sometimes get questions about why we welcome membership from both vineyard owners and wine makers. Unlike organizations in surrounding states, the OWA is a hybrid making an equal commitment to both important communities within our industry. Your dues enable work undertaken on behalf of both growers and wineries. For example funding for red blotch research, herbicide drift outreach, and the Wine Country License Plate and Wine Growler bills. OWA Board Directors with Governor Kate Brown at an industry wine reception. Oregon Winegrowers association oregon wine board The year ahead will bring opportunities and challenges as the Oregon wine industry continues to expand. I urge you to join the OWA and support its essential mission of securing an environment where our wine community can thrive. Tom Danowski OWA Executive Director - Funded by voluntary membership dues - Legislative and regulatory advocacy - Compliance updates - Cost savings for members - Tax funded (tonnage and privilege) - Marketing Oregon wine - Viticulture and enology research - Education
Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy and Compliance Cost Saving Benefits FEDEX PREFERRED PRICING Up to 50% off Select FedEx Express U.S. services Up to 28% off Select FedEx Express international services Up to 22% off Select FedEx Ground services Up to 16% off Select FedEx Home Delivery services Including: delivery on a specific day, evening delivery, delivery by appointment, delivery to another address, free hold at FedEx location option. Save 67% on the Adult Signature Required (ASR) fee. The OWA and Oregon Seed Council hosted a farm tour to help prevent herbicide drift damage to vineyards. The OWA is focused on initiatives that advance and protect the investment our members are making in their businesses. Here are some highlights: State issues: The OWA helped secure additional research funding for Oregon State University s Fermentation Sciences Program and new resources for the Oregon Department of Agriculture s laboratory to clear the backlog of pesticide drift cases and improve investigation protocols. The OWA beat back attempts by aggregate producers to ease protections against placing asphalt batch plants near vineyards. Funding now available through the Oregon Wine Country License Plate program is the result of prior OWA advocacy efforts. National issues: The OWA worked with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden to develop an excise tax relief bill that, if passed, will provide a significant new tax benefit to every Oregon winery. At the OWA s request, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley introduced legislative language to reinstate funding for the annual census that delivers critical information to wineries and growers. When TTB proposed a rule to prohibit the sale of wine in growlers, the OWA intervened and TTB retracted the rule. The OWA also fought back against an Illinois attorney targeting wineries with frivolous lawsuits. OFFICE DEPOT DISCOUNT PROGRAM Discounts up to 80% off MSLP on hundreds of commonly used industry supplies and your own custom list of up to 75 additional items with the same steep discounts. Free, next-day delivery on orders more than $50. Consolidate vendors and order all your supplies in one place. LEGAL GUIDANCE Under OWA s annual retainer with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, members can reach out to its attorneys for mailbag legal and regulatory questions and information, including general licensing and permitting, labeling, trade practice compliance, employment, land use and distribution issues. OREGON WINE SYMPOSIUM TICKET DISCOUNT OWA members receive preferred pricing on tickets for the annual Oregon Wine Symposium. The Symposium brings wine industry members from around the Northwest together to discuss issues, discover new tools and techniques, and network with industry suppliers. Compliance: Members received timely alerts from the OWA s legal counsel on shipping compliance and enforcement actions, tax changes, labor and employment law including sick leave, trademark protection, tied house rules, social media, and more.
OWA Events 2016 Application for Professional Membership January 13, 2016 Annual Meeting & Legislative Reception February 23-24, 2016 Oregon Wine Symposium April 27-28, 2016 Washington, D.c. Advocacy Trip and Congressional Wine Tasting Cut Here Thank you for your interest in the Oregon Winegrowers Association. To be eligible for Professional Membership, you must have one or more planted vineyard acres or be an owner, operator or have a significant financial investment in a bonded, commercial Oregon winery. Our dues year runs from January to December. Member Type: Winery Winery/Grower Grower Company: Mailing Address: From the standpoint of actionable, unduplicated content, the Oregon Wine Symposium has captured the top spot among a long list of industry events in the U.S. The Symposium delivers richer information every year, such as guidance for growers looking to compete more effectively and enhance the value of their vineyard holdings. The Symposium discount offered to OWA members is a huge benefit. - Kevin Chambers, Koosah Farms The annual legislative reception in Salem and advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. underscore the strong and productive relationships the OWA has developed with decision-makers at the state and federal levels. Oregon legislators are looking for ways to support the industry and the OWA comes to the table with impactful policy ideas. -Bob Morus, Phelps Creek Vineyards Company Phone: Primary Contact Name: Email: Owner Name: Email: Referred By: Dues Calculator - Minimum Dues $200, Maximum Dues $5,000 + = x $10 = 2015 Tons Harvested 2015 Tons Purchased 2015 Total Tons 2016 Total Dues Contact Us! owa@oregonwine.org // 503-228-8336 // www.oregonwinegrowers.org OWA receives wine requests for political events. Please check this box if you are willing to donate to this effort. The OWA contributes a portion of your dues to the OWA Political Action Committee. Please mark this box if you do not want a portion to go to the PAC. Payment - Payment is due with completed form. Please attach a check or submit credit card information online. Credit Card: Credit card payments are accepted online at www.oregonwinegrowers.org Check: Please make checks payable to: Oregon Winegrowers Association (Indicate 2016 Membership Dues) Return the completed form and check payment to: Oregon Winegrowers Association // 4640 SW Macadam Ave., #240 // Portland, OR 97239 Signature Date
Oregon Winery Bob Doe 1255 NE Dundee Hills Dundee, OR 92731