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APRIL NEWS Oregon Vintners See Sunny Days Ahead Symposium speakers report upswing of grape and wine sales and prices P ortland, Ore.—Members of the Oregon wine industry re- ceived an optimistic look at the future during the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium held Feb. 21-22. After the financial turmoil of fall 2008 and the recession of 2009, sales and pricing of Oregon wines are strengthening as growers put into practice lessons learned during the past few years. The industry is recovering steadily from the financial turmoil of recent years, according to the symposium's opening panel. Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division, presented an optimistic report about the state of the industry. While the housing market is not yet healthy enough to spur a general recovery and lasting growth in wine sales, the outlook is good, McMillan said. The most affluent 20% of the population is buying more—and more expensive—wine than during the recession, and job growth is accelerating. "I think we're probably much better off than people think," McMillan told a ballroom packed with many of the symposium's 1,250 registered participants. winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "sunny Oregon." The Oregon Wine Industry Symposium attracted 1,250 registered participants for the annual event held in Portland. While wine inventories in Oregon are proportionately larger than in California, the situation is much better than the glut that fuelled angst and discussion two years ago. This is sparking hopes that grape prices will begin to march north, following increases in bottle prices. Chris Welch, a partner with bulk wine broker Ciatti Co. of San Rafael, Calif., pegged the sweet spot for Pinot Noir in the current market at $2,000 per ton. It's an amount that he said makes sense for growers, who face rising input costs, and wineries, which have yet to see a general uplift in per-bottle pricing. Bottles priced $9-$12 and in the $20-plus range are posting the strongest growth and will continue to do so in 2012, according to symposium panelists. The dominant opinion in interviews conducted by Silicon Valley Bank is that 2012 will be a "good year." —Peter Mitham American Tartaric is now offering... Truly & Traditionally Australian Premium Oak Alternatives Call for your sample kit today American Tartaric Products Toni Stockhausen 707.836.6840 www.americantartaric.com Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 17