The Oregon Wine Country License Plates Matching Grants Program has been awarding grants to local communities since 2015. As administrator of the funds, Travel Oregon is pleased to announce that 19 projects have been awarded a total of $391,647.64 in grant funding through the Oregon Wine Country License Plates Matching Grants Program.
Funded through revenue generated by the sale of Oregon Wine Country specialty license plates, this matching grants program helps advance wine and culinary tourism projects that improve and strengthen local economies and communities by growing and promoting Oregon’s tourism industry.
Submissions for this grant cycle were received in September and awarded projects will be completed by May 31, 2024.
Grant Awardees & Projects:
Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers ($15,458.50) for the design, construction and installation of steel signage at wineries and vineyards that reflects the unique characteristics of the American Viticultural Area (AVA).
City of Dundee ($40,000) to conduct a facilitated strategic planning process to assist the City of Dundee and Travel Dundee in defining goals to increase overnight stays and activate its downtown around its world-class wines.
City of Dundee ($35,000) to develop and advertise a series of monthly “Main Street Wine and Art Walks” from June-September to drive overnight stays and local business spending.
Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs ($11,721) to update the printed Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge cookbook with recipes from local chefs using local ingredients, create Spanish language ads to support a Spanish version of the book and conduct a media familiarization tour to further highlight agritourism experiences in the region.
Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association ($10,000) to create and execute a targeted digital advertising campaign focused on the Chicago and Houston markets.
Eola-Amity Hills Winegrowers Association ($24,282.50) to create a targeted digital advertising campaign that is supported by social media efforts to drive both overnight stays and build a larger audience for the wine region.
Experience Roseburg / Anvil Northwest ($15,000) to increase the number of wine and culinary businesses participating in the Blocktober Fest event and expand advertising to regional drive markets.
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce ($20,000) to establish a Jacksonville Wine Trolley in collaboration with the Jacksonville Wineries Association, that will link downtown businesses with an alliance of 10 wineries, providing fixed loop service to tasting rooms and offering educational insights into the history of local wine.
Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce ($25,000) to host a Lake Grove “Wine Walk” in the spring of 2024, that features Oregon wines to be served in restaurants and businesses and drives visitation from regional drive markets.
Oregon Wine Board ($7,500) to update its image library with rights-free photos from each of the six wine regions that can be shared and used by wine and tourism industry partners.
Rogue Valley Vintners ($50,000) for a comprehensive digital advertising campaign targeted to non-stop fly-in markets to the Rogue Valley International Airport.
Rogue Valley Vintners ($36,080) to support the growing need for organizational capacity with the addition of an administrative assistant and for updating the Rogue Valley Wine Country map.
Tillamook Coast Visitors Association, dba Visit Tillamook Coast ($15,000) for the creation and online promotion of a “Cooking with Chefs of the North Coast Food Trail” video to bring greater awareness to the region’s culinary bounty.
Travel Lane County ($7,775) to develop photo and video assets that are more representative of regional visitors in ethnicity, age and ability for use in sales and marketing materials and to support an influencer on an inclusive wine country experience.
Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association ($12,250) to create and distribute a Digital Passport to Umpqua Valley Wine Country that leads visitors on a curated wine, lodging and culinary trail.
Union County Chamber of Commerce ($7,080.64) to update, distribute and create an online presence for the Grande Ronde Farm Trail brochure.
Visit Corvallis ($12,000) for a partnership with Heart of Willamette Wineries Association (HOWW) to develop photo and video assets and to expand the advertising reach for the Heart of Willamette wine passport.
Visit Newberg ($15,000) to develop a new brand identity and website which expands digital and social media efforts to attract a more diverse audience to the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration.
Willamette Valley Wineries Association ($32,500) for a comprehensive post-pandemic study of wine visitors to the Willamette Valley which will be used to inform and update the Willamette Valley Wineries Association’s strategic marketing campaign for the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area.