Contact: Michael Kaiser
Vice President
202-223-5172
mkaiser@nullwineamerica.org
May 1, 2017
Senator Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon was presented the 2017 Grape and Wine Public Policy Leadership Award by members of WineAmerica and Winegrape Growers of America last week in Washington DC during the jointly held National Policy Conference.
“Senator Wyden has been a true champion of Oregon wines for years,” said Janie Brooks Heuck, Secretary of the WineAmerica Board of Directors, who presented the award. “As the owner of Brooks Wines in the Willamette Valley, I have benefited firsthand from his strong leadership, so it is a pleasure for me to help recognize him.”
Senator Wyden has been a tireless supporter of the American wine and grape industries over the years, working to modernize the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and most recently acting as the chief Senate sponsor of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. This initiative is the first comprehensive federal alcohol excise tax reform proposal that includes tax relief for wineries, breweries and distilleries.
Trent Preszler, PhD, WineAmerica Chair and CEO of Bedell Cellars in New York said, “There are wineries in all 50 States, and we need the type of broad-based leadership that Senator Wyden has provided to advance this all-American industry. We are truly grateful for his support.”
“Senator Wyden defies the conventional view that Washington, DC is broken. He is an effective, results-oriented legislator who demonstrates a ready willingness to work on a bipartisan basis,” said John Aguirre, Executive Director of Winegrape Growers of America.
The Grape and Wine Public Policy Leadership Award will be awarded on an annual basis to legislators who have shown exemplary leadership on issues of importance to the American wine and grape industries.
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WineAmerica is the national association of American wineries based in Washington, DC. Each year it convenes a public policy meeting that combines education and meetings with legislators on key issues. The meeting is held in conjunction with Winegrape Growers of America, an organization of grower associations from around the country.
For more information, visit www.wineamerica.org
