A Message from Honore Comfort
Vice President, International Marketing
As we start a new year with exports up, now is the opportune time for you to join over 200 wineries that make up our dynamic association, designed to help maximize your international sales with our abundant member benefits.
This program year ahead will be full of fresh approaches to promote California wines. We will continue to promote Capstone California, while launching advanced levels, around the world — a cutting-edge California wine education and certification platform for consumers and trade. Our trade education programs as well as retail and restaurant promotions will engage buyers in leading wine markets. There will be new opportunities to highlight your wines in tours, tastings and events worldwide. As always, we continue to expand our California Wines marketing programs to offer a robust calendar of promotional activities in 40 countries.
For more than 35 years, Wine Institute has actively supported California wineries through leadership in international trade policy and export sales development in wine markets around the world. Since 1985, Wine Institute has served as the administrator of the Market Access Program, a cost-share export promotion program managed by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Wine Institute’s Export Program supports the sales and promotion of California Wines worldwide with a robust agenda of trade and consumer programs.
In 2022, U.S. wine exports reached $1.46 billion in sales with California wines making up more than 95% of the total value.
POSITIONING CALIFORNIA WINES AROUND THE GLOBE
Our long-term vision for California wine exports is to help develop U.S. wine exports to exceed $2.5 Billion in annual sales by 2030, with California wines contributing more than 95% of those sales. To achieve this goal, our plan is to gain market share by building momentum in current markets, expand into new markets, and increase the number of California wineries that export. Below, discover the opportunities we provide to promote California wines worldwide.
Trade Shows and Tastings
California winery trade missions to global wine markets
Wine education seminars
Retail and restaurant programs
Wine trade exhibitions
Missions to California
Educational visits for trade and media to regions all over California
Buying missions for importers and key accounts
Introductions to new-to-market wineries
Keynote panels that provide insights into wine industry trends.
Strategic campaigns
Public relations and social media campaigns in 18 countries
New comprehensive educational platform and certification program
Educational webinars and virtual tastings
INTERNATIONAL ACCESS
In-market representatives assist with market development, insights and importer leads
Member Export conferences and webinars offering key topics, guest speakers and market experts
Member meetings with updates on key markets from international representatives.
OUR
IMPACT
Wine Institute representatives abroad provide in-market support and strategies to wineries exporting to 30 countries.
Countries include: Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Continental Europe, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, UAE and Vietnam.
The California Wine Export Program Executive Committee provides important direction and oversight for the program’s activities and finances. The advisory committee is comprised of active winery members in the Export Program and is a representative sample of the membership as a whole in terms of export sales volume, total wine production, regions and expertise.
Sally Burton
Jackson Family Wines
Vice President, Marketing
Molly Davis
Vice President of International Marketing
E. & J. Gallo
Vivien Gay
Director of International Sales
Silver Oak / Twomey / Ovid
Bradley Groper
Long Meadow Ranch
Chief Sales Officer
Joan Kautz
Global Sales and Marketing
Kautz Family Vineyards
Joseph Lange
International Sales
LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards
Michael Parr
Vice President, International Sales
Wente Family Vineyards
Leigh Ann Reed
International Sales Director
Boisset Collection
Claudia Schug
Schug Carneros Estate
Owner
Brent Shortridge
Export Director
Schramsberg Vineyard
Abigail Smyth
Export Director
Crimson Wine Group
The camaraderie and mentorship amongst fellow California wineries in the export program has been immensely beneficial. This kind of teamwork shows how dedicated member wineries are to the broader long-term goal of raising the profile of California wines internationally.
Joseph Lange International Sales, LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards
10 Reasons to Join
International Representatives
Access to Brokers and Importers
Invitations to Events, Activities and Retail Opportunities
Trade and Media Events
Opportunities for Trade Stakeholders
Preferred Access to Annual Export Meeting/Conference
Seeking personalized guidance to enter a new region or enhance your winery’s presence in an existing market? The California Wine Mentorship Program can help by pairing you with a seasoned participant of the California Wine Export Program who can offer invaluable insights and support. Through sharing resources and experience, the Mentorship Program provides a welcoming, inclusive platform that promotes success for all of our members.
Check the appropriate box on your membership form to indicate interest in becoming a mentee.
Diane Berardi, Manager of Operations and Memberships, will follow up about your interests and goals. Once we have a better understanding of what you are looking for, we will explore our network to match you with a mentor based on areas of interest and expertise.
Diane will coordinate an introductory email between mentor and mentee. Once introduced, you are free to schedule a one-on-one meeting by phone, email, Zoom, or in-person.
California Wines has partnered with Bottlebooks, an innovative online platform that stores and manages key wine information for events and opportunities. This partnership enables seamless, sustainable exchanges of product data, enhancing the experience of our shows and ensuring smooth logistics for global events. By using Bottlebooks, our member wineries can easily input wine details, showcasing the diverse and exceptional wines California has to offer and supporting the industry’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Export Program Member dues are based on a sliding scale depending on a winery’s total export sales from the prior year using the categories listed below. All export sales should include both bottled and bulk wines exported, and membership should include all California brands under the winery or company. The fee structure can range from $600-$140,000 depending on your export category listed below
*For wineries represented by a broker or outside wine company, the winery must be the entity registering for membership. If you are registering at the $600 level, please send a check or pay by credit card. Dues for all other membership levels can be billed semi-annually in July or January when being paid by check.
