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What's up in El Dorado's wine country? Find out in the following press releases.
October 10, 2012 MEDIA CONTACT: Stacie Jacob, Solterra Strategies T: 805-286-6874, sjacob@solterrastrategies.com
The El Dorado Winery Association, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was awarded a Specialty Crop Block Grant in the amount of $179,000 from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The funds will help the 35-member winery association move its new marketing campaign "Taste At A Higher Level" forward during the next three years.
"Receiving this grant is a vote of confidence for El Dorado Wine Country," said Beth Jones EDWA President and co-owner of Lava Cap Winery. "We are excited to share our unique assets, which is part of our new marketing campaign targeting key markets important to our constituents."
The association's marketing campaign will educate media, trades and consumers about the wines and vineyards of the growing El Dorado American Viticulture. The grant allows EDWA to gather new marketing data, use new technology to enhance its website, create an annual communications plan to build awareness, enhance it social media efforts, conduct familiarization tours for media and wine buyers, open new target markets, and leverage partnerships with tourism partners.
These programs will help El Dorado showcase the region's distinctive wine qualities and build awareness for this emerging California AVA within Reno, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area metro markets.
"The timing of the grant couldn't be better," said Terrie Prod'hon, EDWA's Public Relations and Marketing Committee Chair and owner of Mt. Aukum Winery. "Our association is growing and we're seeing how popular our wines are becoming. The grant will help us build a complete, coordinated effort to get the word out about El Dorado Wine County."
The El Dorado Winery Association is one of nine organizations to receive a marketing-focused grant for agriculture education and outreach and one of three organizations focused on California wine. CDFA awarded a total of $18.7 million in all Specialty Crop Block Grants focusing on the categories of research, marketing and nutrition. Download press release pdf