How Oregon Wineries View Themselves

During the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium's Wednesday morning session titled "Oregon in the Eyes of the World," former Oregon Wine Board Chairman and A-Z Wineworks Proprietor, Sam Tannahill, spoke the adjectives of how Oregon wineries view themselves, both positively and negatively. I furiously scribbled to catch all the words while nodding my head in agreement. I thought I'd share the list, because I find it very insightful. Typically, you are always your harshest critic, and you'll see that represented in the list, but I also think there is a lot of understanding of WHO brand Oregon is as well.

POSITIVES

• Independent
• Innovative
• High-Quality
• Pioneers
• Artisan
• Growing Industry
• Complex
• Hand-Crafted
• Sustainable
• Balanced
• Lower-alcohol
• Green
• Family-Owned
• Humble (almost to a fault)
• Strong Partnerships
• Research Leaders
• Playing Above Our Weight Class

NEGATIVES

• Lack of Business Savviness
• Tiny
• Limited in Scope
• All eggs in one (Pinot Noir) basket
• Lacking Marketing Muscle
• Squeezed Out of Distribution
• Endanger of Losing Spirit/Community and Collaborations (growing pains)

What would you add or subtract from the lists?