Wine Industry News of Vinifera Wine Growers Association (VWGA)Activities

News

Date	Activity
March 9-12, 2007	Participated in the 2008 Wine and Grape Policy Conference hosted by the Winegrape Growers of America and WineAmerica. Focused on the major issues and concerns facing the continued economic and sustainable growth of the American wine industry. Briefed key Congressional committees, members, and senior staff concerned with agriculture and wine industry issues. Major issues were: Grape Facts, which tells how the grape industry generates jobs, exports, tax revenues, tourism and, of course, outstanding wines, juices, raisins, and table grapes. The Farm Bill, recognizing for the first time the importance of specialty crops (fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, nursery crops and floriculture. AgJOBS, emphasizing the need for legal, affordable workers capable of performing physical labor to tend and harvest the crops. Taxes, focusing on (1) a revision of the tax structure that threatens the family farm and wineries in the case of the death of the principle operator; (2) the need for group health insurance plans that would be economically attainable in order to provide the much needed health care for employees; and (3) a permanent extension of the conservation easement donation tax credit which expired in 2007. Grape and Wine Research, higlighting the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) which has been extremely valuable in addressing the needs for control of disease and insect infestations that affect plants and crops of the grape growing industry. Pierce’s Disease, discussing research to control a particularly deadly affliction that affects Vinifera grape plants and is spread by the Glassy Winged Sharp Shooter, a flying insect that bores into the vine canes to feed on the sap and inserts the spores of Pierce’s Disease which then destroys the plant.
January 29- 31, 2008	Participated in the 2008 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium held in Sacramento, California. Topics discussed were: Economic Status of the United States Wine Industry; New Wine and Food Trends in the United States; and Branding and Marketing. Highlights of the symposium were captured by Anita Murchie.
March, 2007	Shared MKF Research's compilation of United States Wine Industry Facts and Figures for 2007. Did you know that the United States: Accounts for 9.9% of the world grape production (3rd after Italy and Spain) accomplished on only 4.8% of the world’s vineyard acreage. Represents about 10% of world wine production (4th after France, Italy, and Spain). Exports $675 million of American wine to place 7th worldwide in wine exports.
March 18-21, 2007	Participated in the 2007 Wine and Grape Policy Conference hosted by the Winegrape Growers of America and WineAmerica. Reviewed national legislation and communicated our views to the United States Congress. Major issues were: The Farm Bill, which will fund the operations of the Department of Agriculture. The conference specifically was interested in the recognition of specialty crops as a major element of agricultural endeavor, and that specialty crops be given treatment equal to that of the five major program crops. AgJOBS, which recognizes the struggle of America’s wineries and grape growers to find legal, affordable and reliable agricultural labor. Taxes, especially estate taxes, which jeopardize the existence of family owned vineyards and wineries as the business is passed from one generation to another. Highlights included (1) association health care plans, which would permit associations to offer group health care insurance for the benefit of vineyard and winery workers, and (2) conservation easements to allow farmland to be placed in reserve to prevent the loss of valuable farmland to urban developers. Grape and wine research to support the continuing development of grapes and wines of superior quality and value, particularly, support to the Agriculture Research Service and its various activities in support of viticulture and enology. The continuation of the special program to control and prevent Pierce’s Disease.
May 5, 2006	Represented the Virginia wine industry at the Foreign Affairs Day, which was attended by 500 retired Foreign and Civil Service Officers, plus other foreign affairs-related agency representatives and current State Department personnel. The annual event is a full day of special briefings and seminars concerning each of the geographic areas of the world. Worked with Alta Cassady, Manager of Partnership Relations for Jamestown 2007, to arrange an information table on the 400th celebration of the May 1607 founding of Jamestown and its role in American winemaking. Served a Virginia wine, a Viognier from Horton Cellars, which was mentioned in the the Director General's opening remarks as a tribute to Virginia wine on Jamestown's 400th anniversary.
March 27-29, 2006	Participated in Capitol Hill briefings as part of the 2006 Annual Wine & Grape Policy Conference sponsored by WineAmerica and the Winegrape Growers of America. Presented Virginia wine industry facts and figures, along with comparative figures of the U.S. wine industry as a whole. Also, discussed the percentage of annual income endangered due to the loss of self-distribution provided by 45 Virginia wineries. Provided position papers stating wine national concerns and issues: Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act (need for dependable, affordable, and legal workforce), Farm Bill (Specialty Crops Competition Act), Grape and Wine Research (National Grape and Wine Initiative, Viticulture Consortium, Agriculture Research Service), Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter and Pierce’s Disease, Taxes (Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) User Fees, Estate Tax, Special Occupation Tax, etc.), and Market Access Program (MAP).
1st Quarter of 2006	Participated in Virginia wine industry's promotional and marketing venture on the West Coast: January 24 - 26, 2006: Fourteen Virginia wineries submitted their wines for the regional wine tasting at the 2006 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. An estimated 10,000 plus wine industry, commercial, and professional participants, along with some 500 wine suppliers and exhibitors, attended the event sponsored by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture and the California Association of Wine-Grape Growers. For more information, download Part I and Part II. February 8, 2006: Santa Rosa city and county officials, business leaders, restaurateurs, retailers, media, regional winery representatives, plus representatives of the California Legislature’s Select Committee on Wine attended an evening of Virginia wine tastings. For more information and to read Dan Berger's coverage of the tasting, download Part III. February 9, 2006: Wine and food professionals gathered at Anne Vercelli's Sonoma County home to discuss the intricacies of wine and food pairing. Note: Anne Vercelli, the daughter of California wine pioneer, Joe Vercelli, is a principal in the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition, the Santa Rosa Harvest Fair Professional Food Competition, etc. For more information, download Part IV.
October 26, 2005	In cooperation with the Congressional Wine Caucus, hosted the 2005 Atlantic Seaboard Vinifera Wine Competition Awards and Tasting Reception on October 26th, 2005 in the House Agriculture Committee Room of the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C. During the event, the following awards were given: Monteith Trophy to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Receiving the award was Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens’ Executive Director, James Rees, for providing the American public with an opportunity to personally experience how viticulture and enology historically evolved as an agricultural, economic and social component of the American society, now embodied in the annual spring and fall wine festival and sunset tours of the mansion. Atlantic Seaboard Vinifera Wine Competition Best of Show Tiffany Jefferson Loving Cup to “Shep” and Jane Rouse of Rockbridge Vineyard in Raphine, Virginia. Atlantic Seaboard Vinifera Wine Competition Best of Category Certificates to Guy and Nicole Loeffler of Horizon Cellars (NC), Jeff and Tamara Stone of Wintergreen Winery (VA), Congressman Randy Kuhl on behalf of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars (NY), Jason Tesauro representing Barboursville Vineyards (VA), and Roger Dixon and Cameron Stark of Unionville Vineyards (NJ). For more photos and information, click here.
October 5, 2005	Held a highly successful wine auction that raised $112,000 for the Bush/Clinton Katrina relief effort. Over 350 members of the Washington, D.C. and area businesses, lobbying and wine-interested community attended the event which featured 127 individual wine lots (one special edition bottle to a case plus of wine) for the silent auction and 24 rare wine lots (special magnums and signature wine bottles) in the live auction. Sponsored by the Congressional Wine Caucus, contributions to the auction were from a consortium of California wine organizations, including the Wine Institute and WineAmerica, and from wineries in New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Virginia. For more photos and information, click here.
August 20, 2005	Presented the First Virginia Wine Industry Lifetime Achievement Award to Juanita G. Swedenburg, owner of Swedenburg Estate Vineyard in Middleburg, Virginia, and founding member of the VWGA. Honored by the Vinifera Wine Growers Association during the 30th annual Virginia Wine Festival at Historic Long Branch Estate in Millwood, Virginia, on the 20th of August, Juanita received her plaque from Gordon Murchie. The plaque was inscribed as follows: Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Juanita G. Swedenburg In Recognition of Exceptional Personal Contributions To the National Effort to Achieve a Positive U.S. Supreme Court Decision Regarding the Direct Shipment of Wine from Producers to Consumers in the United States May 16, 2005.
August 1, 2005	Presented the First Virginia Wineries Association Lifetime Achievement Award to Gordon W. Murchie, President of the VWGA and retiring executive director of the Virginia Wineries Association. Gordon was feted at the August First Annual Virginia Wine Industry’s Honors Program held at the Omni Hotel in Richmond on August 1, 2005. Felicia Warburg Rogan, past chairwoman of the Virginia Winegrowers Advisory Board, and owner of Oakencroft Vineyard and Winery presented a silver wine trophy engraved with the following tribute: The Gordon W. Murchie Lifetime Achievement Award In Appreciation of His Selfless And Unwavering Support of the Virginia Wine Industry, 2005. The stated intent of the Virginia Wineries Association is for this “Gordon W. Murchie Lifetime Achievement Trophy” to be a perpetual award that, in the future, will be presented to other individuals determined to have made major contributions to the growth and sustainability of the Virginia wine industry.
March 14 - 16, 2005	Participated in the Wine America Wine and Grape Conference in Washington, D.C., visiting Congressional Senate and House members of the Virginia Delegation to bring up issues important to the wine industry. Some issues covered were: specialty crops, grape and wine research, agricultural job programs, Marketing Aaccess Program (MAP), and tax issues (inheritance, TTB user fees and the special occupation tax). Also participated in special wine tasting for Congressional staff in the Montpelier Room of the Library of Congress.
February 3, 2005	Facilitated the presentation of Virginia wines for the Asian American Community Reception with Virginia's Governor, Lieutenant Governer, Attorney General, Cabinet Secretaries, and General Assembly members.
December 9, 2004	Supported Virginia's Congressional delegation by facilitating Virginia wine presentations at Richmond’s Capitol Holiday Tree Reception in the Russell Caucus Room.
October 5, 2004	Awarded Monteith Trophy to Congressional Wine Caucus on Capitol Hill. Co-Chairmen of the Caucus, Representatives Radanovich and Thompson from California received the trophy, which is awarded to “…individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in contributing to the development of the American wine industry”. The trophy was first awarded in 1980. It is held by the awardee for one year, but the name or the individual or organization is engraved on the trophy forever.