Wine Partnership Part 2

Wine Partnership Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Washington Wine Commission has recently partnered with the Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ryan Pennington, Public Relations Director for the Wine Commission says it gets the commission out of the event planning business and lets them concentrate of what they do best...promote wine.

PENNINGTON: This really is the best of both worlds. The Convention and Visitor Bureau brings, as you mentioned, an expertise in producing large scale events which Taste Washington has become. And relationships with sponsors across the country to help grow the event and this partnership will allow us to focus on what we do best and that is promoting the wine industry and facilitating those aspects of the event.

Pennington talks about the actual event and what to expect.

PENNINGTON: Taste Washington 2012 will be Saturday, March 31st and Sunday, April 1st in CenturyLink Field Event Center in downtown Seattle. The grand tasting this year will be both Saturday and Sunday and seminars will again take place on Saturday focusing on various aspects of the industry.

They expect more than 3000 people to attend this years event. Robin Pollard, the Executive Director of the commission has recently tendered her resignation and Pennington says they are looking for a replacement.

PENNINGTON: We have a steering committee in place that consists of members of our board of commissioners as well as representatives from outside the board but from within the industry. We’ve also retained a recruitment firm to help us weed through the mountain of applications that we’re getting.

They are taking their time and probably won’t have someone in place until early spring.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.