The California Wine Institute affirmed today that it will maintain a strong presence in the U.K. – the number one country in Europe for the state’s wines – and will increase support for California wines with new programming. Reports of a change in market representation led to the mistaken conclusion that the organization was de-emphasizing the market. In fact, it is a shift in the allocation of resources and Wine Institute will issue an RFP the week of August 22 for new representation that will allow it to devote more funding to programs. The popular annual tasting, previously held in the spring as part of a California vintners European tour, will take place next year on September 25th. The date change is a strategic decision by the Institute and its members to prioritize the market by making it a stand-alone event rather than part of a larger tour.
“California wines have made great progress in the U.K. in the past decade and we appreciate the contributions of John McLaren and Venla Freeman to this success,” said Linsey Gallagher, Vice President of International Marketing for Wine Institute. “ We look forward to building on our success with a new, more dynamic approach to presenting California wines in the U.K. and will announce our new representation this October.”
