It is fair to say that 2020 was the most challenging year in the history of the wine industry.

From the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and the prolonged shutdowns of tasting rooms, restaurants and bars, to the catastrophic wildfires that touched all corners of the state, Oregon’s wine industry faced unprecedented challenges in 2020.

But through these challenges, OWC led the industry’s advocacy efforts and helped to unify and strengthen Oregon’s wine industry. While the pandemic and wildfires shifted our attention to the industry’s immediate needs, they also highlighted our ability to secure legislative and regulatory “wins” on behalf of the entire industry when they matter most.

OWC’s 2020 Accomplishments Include:

• Provided leadership during COVID-19 crisis and wildfires, ensuring that industry input and engagement was included in all reopening guidance or relief efforts

• Advocated on behalf of wine industry members to ensure that those who are taxed by the Oregon Wine Board have an appropriate and fair voice in determining how their tax dollars are spent

• Coordinated with business groups to ensure wine industry members have a voice at the table when decisions are made that impact the broader business community

• Successfully initiated wine industry advocacy effort to fight a proposed 800% tax increase on beer and wine to fund addiction and mental health services, including engaging with the Oregon Beverage Alliance and participating in earned media advocacy efforts by our members such as live media interviews and opinion pieces submitted to local and statewide newspapers

• COVID-19 Advocacy Efforts:

  • Engaged with media across the state to raise awareness of threats facing many Oregon wineries and growers

  • Led industry conversations to help develop COVID-19 reopening guidelines, agriculture housing guidelines and harvest guidelines

  • Represented the wine industry in front of the legislature and state agencies including the Department of Agriculture, OSHA, and OLCC, among others, on rules and issues important to the wine industry as they relate to COVID-19

  • Led wine industry efforts to help develop OSHA Infectious Disease rules, advocating for reasonable regulations as they apply to wineries and farmworkers

  • Advocated for limited reopening of on-site tastings at wineries following November “Freeze”

  • Coordinated wine industry to join business advocacy efforts to safely reopen businesses following November “Freeze”

  • Led proactive media strategy to advocate for limited reopening of tasting rooms following November “Freeze”

  • Successfully advocated for the reopening of on-site, outdoor tastings at winery tasting rooms under new risk-based county reopening framework

• Wildfire Advocacy Efforts

  • Helped craft narrative and messaging around wildfire impacts to industry producers and growers, coordinating media response with industry leaders

  • Urged the Oregon Wine Board to fund vital lab testing of smoke exposed grapes at Oregon State University during wildfire crisis

  • Joined industry efforts to secure federal disaster relief funds for growers impacted by wildfire smoke

  • Engaged members in surveys and data collection to determine economic losses related to wildfires for use in advocacy efforts

• Successfully nominated OWC Board Co-Chair Elin Miller to Oregon Department of Agriculture Board of Directors, ensuring the wine industry has a seat at the table when decisions are made regarding agriculture in Oregon

• Successfully nominated OWC Board Member Dennis O’Donoghue to serve on the Oregon Wine Board to represent Oregon’s wine industry

• Worked with other industry groups through the Oregon Solutions process to ensure the ongoing unity and collaboration of all statewide wine industry advocacy groups