Legislators gathered in the Willamette Valley to celebrate the state’s thriving wine industry
Portland, Ore. – The Oregon Winegrowers Association (OWA) and Oregon Wine Council (OWC) hosted a kickoff gathering for the newly relaunched Oregon Legislative Wine Caucus at Sokol Blosser Winery on August 24. The intent of the Wine Caucus is to educate and empower its members to be champions of the industry in the legislature. Legislators gathered at the event to celebrate Oregon’s world-renowned wine industry and to discuss some of the top issues the industry is facing.
“In the past the Wine Caucus has played an instrumental role on key policy issues such as securing $500,000 to supplement marketing and research activities at the Oregon Wine Board, land use law changes to clarify activities and events at wineries on farmland, and helping pass the Wine Growler bill. We look forward to working collaboratively with the relaunched Wine Caucus to support Oregon’s largest value-added agricultural sector,” said Alex Sokol Blosser, President of Sokol Blosser Winery and Chair of OWA’s Public Policy and PAC Committees.
Oregon’s wine industry encompasses agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and so many other elements of Oregon’s economy. Legislators in attendance had the opportunity to learn about the challenges the industry has faced in recent years including wildfire smoke, drought, the pandemic, and supply chain issues, but also to hear about the ways in which wineries and vineyards are adapting and improving processes to ensure sustainability and the importance of government collaboration.
“Oregon’s wine industry has grown so much in such a short period of time and has become a critical sector of Oregon’s economy,” said Sam Tannahill, Co-Founder of A to Z Wineworks and OWC Board Chair. “It’s great to see so many legislators from across the state come together to support our winegrowers and winemakers.”
Legislators in attendance included Senator Michael Dembrow, Senator Aaron Woods, Rep. Lucetta Elmer, Rep. David Gomberg, Rep. Jules Walters, Rep. Anna Scharf, Rep. Boomer Wright, Rep. Tom Anderson, Rep. Kevin Mannix, Rep. Rob Nosse, Rep. Mark Gamba, Rep. Travis Nelson, and Rep. James Hieb. More than a dozen other legislators have expressed interest in joining the Wine Caucus. Rep. Elmer and Rep. Gomberg will serve as House co-chairs. A next step is to identify Senate co-chairs and continue to build membership.
