Washington Wine Board Meeting

Join the Washington State Wine Commission for this board meeting, one of several throughout the year. The Washington Wine board and staff will discuss current issues relevant to the state’s wine industry, ongoing events and campaigns, and the organization’s broader strategies.

Per the Open Public Meetings Act, anyone is welcome to join this meeting. Washington wineries and vineyards are encouraged to join, and board meetings are a great way to stay abreast of current programs and ways that they can benefit from Washington Wine’s marketing, communication, and research & efforts. The agenda will be posted here one week prior to the meeting.

Location: Chateau Ste Michelle, Woodinville, WA
Date: April 17, 2026
Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm

WASHINGTON STATE WINE COMMISSION BOARD MEETING AGENDA

• Opening – Todd Newhouse
  • Welcome Guests and Introductions
  • Public Comments
  • Approval of the minutes of the January 23rd meeting
    
    
• Guest Presentations
  • Danny Brager – Alcohol Category Consultant (45 mins. & 5 minutes Q & A)
    • Deep Dive into Wine Trends, Data and WA Wine Sales
    • Consumer Insights
  • Adam Schulz – Owner Incredible Bulk Wine Company (20 mins.)
    • Update on Bulk Wine Market
    • Headwinds, opportunities, and overall trends.
  • Sam Minkoff – SE Productions
    • Taste WA Event Recap (25 mins. & 5 minutes for Q&A)
  • Linn Scott – WRAC Board Chair (10 mins.)
    • Research Funding Model Overview
      
      
• Committee Reports
  • Research Committee – Dick Boushey and Julie Tarara (20 minutes)
    • Budget Update
    • WRAC recommendation and approval (requires vote)
    • WAVE/WAVEx updates
  • Finance Committee – Tom Dugan, Kristina Kelley, Chris Stone, Renee Meadors, Paul Capelle (45 minutes)
    • Grape Assessment Report
    • Finance Balance Sheet
    • FY’26 Reforecast
    • FY’27 Planning
• LUNCH BREAK (20 minutes)
• Marketing Committee – Devyani Gupta, David Flaherty and Mac Pedersen, (45 mins.)
  • Update on key initiatives
  • Reforecast for FY’26 and impact on programming
  • FY’27 Key Priorities Share Out from Committee Meeting
• • Export Committee – Becca DeKleine, Kate Salisbury and Chris Stone (20 minutes)
    • Update on FY’26 Activities and Results
    • Canadian Communications RFP
    • Funding Overview
    • FY’27 Priorities
• Communications Committee – Lynda Eller, Heather Bradshaw, Averyl Mooney (45 mins)
  • Update on key initiatives
  • Reforecast for FY’26 and impact on programming
  • FY’27 Key Priorities Share Out from Committee Meeting
• Regroup on FY’27 Priorities and Budget Implications – Kristina Kelley & Chris Stone (20 minutes)
  • Reconfirm FY’27 priorities in the context of current budget constraints
  • Align on the path forward for budget finalization
  • Define next steps and timeline for FY’27 budget approval
    
    
• All Other Business – Todd Newhouse (10 minutes)
  • Next Board Meeting
    • June 12, Walter Clore Center, Prosser
      • Followed by an hour social mixer with Board members of Winegrowers, Wine Institute, AWW and Wine Industry Foundation
    • Board Dates for 2026
      • August 16^th, Woodinville
        November 13^th, Walter Clore Center, Prosser

If you would like to attend virtually, please reach out to info@washingtonwine.org for the meeting link. For the full list of board meeting dates, check out this page on our website.