VVA and Industry News

Notes on the Governor's Trade Mission to Europe
from Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry

July 30, 2010

I wanted to share with you a few notes from the Governor's and my successful trade mission to Europe. In part, the purpose of our trip was to highlight Virginia wines in the United Kingdom, promote increased sales there, and attract more winery tourism to Virginia. The UK is currently the largest wine importing country in the world - $8 billion worth every year - and by whatever measure, I am confident that our mission was a success.

Five Virginia wineries felt so strongly about this effort and the opportunity to increase sales to the UK that they paid their own way to be a part of the mission and participate in several major events where Virginia wines were featured. Virginia wines were featured at six events where either the Governor, the First Lady, and/or I were the guests. Over these six events, more than 500 people sampled Virginia wines, most for the first time. You'll also be pleased to know that the wines were also paired with Virginia pork and seafood products, two other products that the Governor and I were promoting in the UK. We also served Virginia gourmet peanuts at the events, and I had more than a few folks tell me how much they enjoyed them.

I am quite proud to state that the wines were very well received throughout the mission. Rather than me paraphrasing for you what was shared with the mission group, I'm pleased to share a single quote from an email I received from an individual who attended a Virginia wine reception hosted by McGuireWoods on London's legendary Pall Mall street:

What a great quote, one that I believe accurately captures the essence of what the wineries, the Governor, the First Lady, and I heard throughout the trade mission.

Let me share with you a few other standout moments from the mission:

Among the six receptions, our friends at the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) hosted an event that focused on promoting Virginia wines and tourism to Virginia wineries. The event was emceed by Oz Clarke, a world-renowned wine writer who has traveled to Virginia several times and has been a champion of Virginia wines in the UK as well as the future of the Virginia wine industry in general. A number of UK and European wine writers attended the event and will be writing articles about their tastings. A special thanks goes to Alisa Bailey and the VTC staff who worked so hard to make this event special and fun for the wineries, the Governor, the First Lady, and me.

The mission also achieved increased sales of Virginia wines as an immediate result of our visit. A leading UK importer/distributor of Virginia wines - New Horizon Wines - took these orders during the events or shortly thereafter. A number of Virginia wineries, the Governor, the Wine Marketing Office, VTC, and I are working with Chris Parker and New Horizon Wines on the strategic development of an international wine marketing strategy. This also includes Virginia wine tourism. This effort is currently focused on the UK; however, we'll be working to take this strategic international marketing development plan beyond the UK in the future.

After selling Virginia wines over the last year, Whole Foods now has a specific Virginia wines section at its four-story Kensingston-High Street location. Because of the sales and the attention that our wines have received since hitting the racks, the store believed that Virginia wines merited a stand alone section rather than being mixed in with other US wines.

The Governor and I met with the Whole Foods UK Region President during the mission and, in addition to other items we discussed, we thanked him for highlighting Virginia wines in one of London's most heavily trafficked areas.

I hope this gives you a small taste of our efforts on behalf of Virginia wine in the UK. All this, of course, is just the start - the Governor, the First Lady, the Wine Marketing Office, VTC, and I look forward to continuing our work with Virginia wineries in the hope of growing business opportunities in the UK and beyond in the future.

Governor McDonnell Announces National Wine Bloggers Conference to be Held in Virginia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE- Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that the national 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference will be held in Charlottesville. The conference is expected to bring at least 300 attendees to the area for the 3-day gathering.

Commenting about the selection, Governor McDonnell noted, "Virginia wineries are garnering lots of attention across our country and around the world. By hosting the Wine Bloggers annual conference in Charlottesville, interest will continue to grow thus attracting more visitors to Virginia and its wineries. Since taking office, we have been looking at new and innovative ways to promote Virginia wines both domestically and internationally. In addition to announcements of major national conferences choosing Virginia, our major initiatives supporting tourism and the wine industry took effect last week on July 1st. Virginia is now the nation's fifth largest wine producer and seventh largest commercial grape producing state, and we are committed to growing this important, job-creating industry in the years ahead. I look forward to welcoming the Wine Bloggers Conference to the Commonwealth next July."

The Wine Bloggers Conference is the premier event for wine bloggers and others involved in the new media of online wine writing. Over 300 bloggers and social media experts involved in the wine industry will gather to meet each other, learn about blogging and social media, and taste hundreds of wines. There are over 800 English-language wine blogs that have a growing audience and influence on consumers. The conference is organized by Zephyr Wine Adventures (www.ZephyrAdventures.com) and the OpenWine Consortium (www.openwineconsortium.org) and 2011 will be the fourth annual conference.

Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd P. Haymore stated, "While 2010 has already been quite a year for the Virginia wine industry, 2011 is shaping up to be even more exciting given the Wine Bloggers decision to hold their annual gathering in Virginia. Hosting events such as the Wine Bloggers Conference is key to helping our wines continue to receive notice and critical acclaim here and around the world. And, when pairing the Wine Bloggers announcement with Wineries Unlimited's decision to hold its annual conference and trade show in Richmond next year, it's obvious that our wine industry is getting the respect it deserves. Both of these conferences will enhance the growing domestic and international reputation that our wines are receiving and will generate more economic opportunities through increased tourism and sales at Virginia's more than 160 farm wineries."

Conference Organizer Allan Wright of Zephyr Wine Adventures added, "Charlottesville is a natural place to hold our fourth Wine Bloggers Conference. The city is fantastic, the Virginia wine scene is burgeoning, and the state-level support of the conference is tremendous. We are very excited to introduce wine bloggers from across North America to the wines of Virginia."

University of Virginia Announces Tayloe Murphy Initiative Competition for Small Businesses

The Tayloe Murphy Resilience Awards Competition will recognize and support entrepreneurial firms that have shown sustained economic vitality, high employment and which provide uplift to their communities while operating in Virginia’s most economically challenged areas.

Successful entrepreneurs in Manufacturing | Retail | Service | Wholesale

Qualifying applicants must demonstrate:

• 5 years of sustained growth across a number of metrics
• Evidence of economic uplift in their local community
• That they are operating in the most economically challenged communities within the Commonwealth of Virginia (go to: www.resilienceawards.info to see if your community is eligible)

Tayloe Murphy Resilience Awards Competition: Flyer
Tayloe Murphy Resilience Awards: Press Release

Survey Results Available

The VVA surveyed our membership in late 2008 to rank research priorities for vineyards and wineries. The results of this survey are available for download:
Research Priorities Survey Results

Important Issues in the Virginia State Legislature

The Virginia State Legislature makes many decisions regarding the Virginia wine industry. Please keep up to date with these issues by viewing the Virginia Wine Council page.

Virginia Wine Council Formed

The Virginia Wine Council (the "VWC"), a consortium of Virginia's vineyards and wineries, the Virginia Vineyards Association and the Virginia Wineries Association, has recently been formed to represent the interests of the wine industry before the General Assembly of Virginia. Virginia's vineyards and wineries need a strong and collective voice in Richmond who can be a constant presence during this year's General Assembly Session and beyond.  To that end, the VWC has selected a new director, Matt Conrad who works at the Alliance Group in Richmond.  Matt will bring his years of government relations experience and enthusiasm for the industry to the task of protecting and promoting the wine industry's legislative interests. 

Prior to joining the Alliance Group, Matt served as lead attorney for legislation at the Virginia Attorney General's Office, where he helped develop and lobby for the annual legislative package of the Attorney General.  Also having served as counsel to the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Matt brings a keen understanding of the regulatory requirements placed on Virginia's farm wineries.  Matt has spent the past week meeting with wine industry stake holders and is eager to meet with all members of the VWC.  Please feel free to contact him at (804) 648-6299 (x5835) or by email.

Keep up to date with the Virginia Wine Council on our site.

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