08/03/06 Funds to promote Grant County wine

Washington Ag August 3, 2006 The recently created Grant County Wine Promotion Coalition has received an 84-hundred dollar market promotion grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Promotional Director for the Coalition, Denise Arango, says the Coalition also has 84-hundred dollars in matching funds or in-kind contributions that will be used to create a brochure and erect signs along Interstate 90 and other highways. Arango: "You know Grant County is a huge county. We are pretty spread out here. And what people don't realize is that here in Grant County, this is where most of the wine grapes are produced. So we want to bring attention to that and bring in a lot more attention to benefit the tourism and economic development in Grant County." Arango hopes to have the brochure completed by November, if not sooner, and have it distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest. Arango: "And that way we can direct people to the county so they can taste some of our great wine." Currently produced by 12 wineries in Grant County. By the way, the Washington Wine Commission is celebrating the governor-proclaimed Washington Wine month during August to generate sales and increase consumer awareness about the state's three-billion dollar wine industry. I'm Bob Hoff.