Travel Oregon Awards more than $433,000 in Oregon Wine Country License Plates Matching Grants

Portland, Ore. (November 21, 2024) -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 14 projects have been awarded a total of $433,831.60 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, the 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 August and September of 2024 and awarded projects must be completed by November 28, 2025.

Grant Awardees & Funded Projects:

Applegate Valley Vintners Association ($6,575) to expand marketing efforts for the Applegate Valley Wine Trail by adding signage at each winery and hosting media visits.

Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce ($15,000) to refresh a marketing strategy and create new content/marketing materials for the 2026 Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival with the intention of better telling the story of the festival to enhance the public's understanding of it and increase the number of attendees to pre-pandemic levels.

City of Dayton ($23,500) to launch a consumer-facing tourism initiative designed to promote the area as a multi-generational destination for wine, outdoor recreation and cultural experiences through the creation of a visitor-focused website and digital marketing campaign.

City of Dundee ($50,000) to implement a year-long digital marketing campaign celebrating the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Dundee Hills American Viticulture Area (AVA) with the primary goal of driving overnight visitors to Dundee.

City of Lincoln City ($12,000) to create a video and photo marketing campaign focusing on local seafood and food products, including video and photos assets demonstrating DIY Farm/Sea to Table Dining to amplify Lincoln City's visibility as a culinary destination.

Eastern Oregon Visitors Association ($15,746) to create a targeted spring/summer 2025 marketing campaign to increase visitor awareness and highlight the economic impact of Eastern Oregon's local wine, culinary, and agritourism experience by showcasing the range of culinary offerings, businesses and experiences in the region.

Oregon Wine Board ($50,000) to develop an industry-wide, five-year wine tourism strategic plan that establishes consistent guidelines and direction for messaging for all regions to tell Oregon's unique wine story in a compelling, personal and engaging way.

Oregon Wine Board ($50,000) to support the long-term financial sustainability of three regional wine marketing associations by engaging with a CPA firm and a strategic planning consultancy to develop a strategic financial sustainability plan for each association.

Tillamook Coast Visitors Association, dba Visit Tillamook Coast ($10,000) to produce "Crave the Coast," a one-day event in the Port of Garibaldi that will celebrate the bounty of Oregon's north coast and the North Coast Food Trail by showcasing the rich bounty of the north coast such as seafood, year-round produce, cheeses, microbrews, wines, harvested salt, ciders, and grass-fed meats.

Travel Medford ($47,500) to support a multi-faceted strategic marketing campaign to promote "Savor Southern Oregon," a first-year signature wine event that will feature Rogue Valley AVA wineries and wines produced from the Rogue Valley AVA, and highlight the wine region through educational courses, a VIP reserve tasting, a wine competition and a grand tasting.

Travel Southern Oregon ($10,000) to create a regional toolkit to support marketing efforts for the Great Umpqua Food Trail (GUFT) and the Rogue Valley Food Trail (RVFT) by working with regional photographers to develop content including photography and video, bolster media and marketing in key markets and create a library of shared digital assets.

Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association ($47,510.60) to increase organizational capacity to enable Umpqua Valley Wineries to market their wine region to potential visitors from Oregon and beyond by funding two part-time contractor positions whose main roles will be to manage and execute tourism-related economic development programs and projects.

Visit Newberg ($46,000) to support marketing efforts by expanding public relations efforts to host top-tier regional and national media; creating and distributing photo and video assets; and implementing a robust and aligned advertising and social media campaign in target markets.

Willamette Valley Wineries Association ($50,000) to leverage detailed consumer insights to strengthen and tailor marketing strategies and increase brand awareness for Willamette Valley wines, promote wine as a lifestyle experience, and drive tourism to the Willamette Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area).

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