Every Day is Election Day

Cast your vote for Oregon wines

By Michele Francisco, OWP Editor

With profuse campaign ads, we are constantly reminded its election season. No matter your political leanings, I encourage you to vote… with your dollars. My recent conversations with several winery owners have focused on unusually slow days and sluggish sales. Necessary budget cuts include reducing staff, buying less fruit and relying on lines of credit to make ends meet. The result? Growers labored to cultivate grapes that might never become wine, along with people losing their jobs and wineries forced further into debt.

Fortunately, we consumers possess a mighty power– our money. We choose how to spend it. You likely picked up this magazine while visiting a tasting room. Thank you for supporting a locally-owned business. Your money remains within our community, making a positive impact.

Voting with your dollar might seem like a small– almost insignificant– method to effect change. Yet, it works by volume. When many people spend some cash, the money pot rapidly increases.

As we move into October, November, December, known as OND in retail settings, Oregon’s many wineries anticipate their highest volume of sales. In a typical year, OND wine sales keep the lights on during the slow months of January and February. If sales are down now, times will become much darker as we enter the new year.

Staff cuts, combined with fewer grapes bought today, result in less wine tomorrow. Not merely less wine but a scarcer selection as well. This tailspin began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Many wineries continue to suffer years later.

The “Sober October” movement certainly doesn’t do the wine industry any favors either. Please don’t feel pressured by social media to follow this trend. Instead, embrace the inaugural celebratory “Come Over October” effort and share wine with friends and family.

You have the power to support our community when they most need it. Whether a glass with dinner, a casual gathering with friends or as gifts for the upcoming holidays, continue to choose local wine. If we all pledge to vote with our dollars, collectively we can make a major impact.

Michele Francisco spent her childhood reading and writing, eventually graduating from UCLA with an English degree. She attended graphic design school and began a career in design and marketing. After moving to Oregon in 2010, Michele studied wine at Chemeketa Community College and began Winerabble, a Northwest-focused wine blog. She has been a cheerleader for Oregon wine since her arrival.