MEMBERSHIP
Membership Information
Why join the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance? Whether you own a winery, grow wine grapes or have another interest in the success of the Paso Robles wine industry, there are many good reasons to become a member of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. By becoming an Alliance member, you will be contributing to a pool of resources which support
- Marketing programs that build awareness of Paso Robles as a premium wine region ultimately stimulating interest and demand for Paso Robles wines and winegrapes
- Promotional programs that attract tourists and generate traffic through Paso Robles tasting rooms
- Education and research programs which help members to produce the best quality product and give the best service possible
- Monitoring of local governments to protect member property rights, water rights and rights to farm
Membership Benefits
ALL MEMBERS receive the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance newsletter, The Wine Country News, as well as a copy of the Annual Wine Country Directory. Members are listed on the Alliance's Web site. In addition, all members are invited to the annual gala, social and educational programs.
WINERY MEMBERS are eligible to participate in virtually all Alliance marketing and promotional programs. They are invited to pour at the Alliance's two annual consumer events, the Zinfandel Festival and the Wine Festival as well as to advertise special weekend activities in event promotional materials. Each member winery is given the opportunity to be represented in the wine tasting in Paso Robles "Tour Brochure" and on the Alliance's Web site with a winery profile. Member wineries may be visited as wine and travel writers are recruited to the area by the Alliance's media outreach program. These visits frequently result in editorial coverage for the area and its wineries. Based on input from winery members, marketing programs are developed and refined on an ongoing basis by the Alliance marketing committee.
GROWER MEMBERS, including wineries with vineyards, receive a listing in the Annual Members Directory including a listing varieties grown, contact information and other viticultural data. The Directory is used by winegrape buyers to source premium grapes from Paso Robles, as well as by Alliance members. Members' information is also listed on the Web site. Grower members are eligible to receive weather forecasts by email, monthly weather summaries and voice access to on-time weather data at four weather station sites strategically located throughout the appellation. Members are eligible to participate in the online interactive AVA mapping tool. This searchable geographic database allows users to find planted varietals and search grapes and bulk wine for sale. Vineyard profiles include information on variety, clone, slope aspect, and soil types. Members may also add detailed vineyard block data for a nominal fee. Many viticultural seminars are produced each year by the Grower Research and Education committee.
Associate Membership Level Benefits
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ASSOCIATE MEMBERS wishing to market their businesses to the Paso Robles wine industry do so by placing inserts in the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance newsletter, networking at member events and initiating contact with prospective customers using their copy of the Members Directory. Associate members are important to the Alliance because they sponsor and provide much of the volunteer energy needed to produce Alliance events. Associate members do business with Wine Industry members and therefore benefit indirectly by the added strength the Alliance gives to the wine industry. There are five levels of Associate membership; Patron, Business, Corporate, Paso Partner and Magnum.
Hospitality Membership Level Benefits
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HOSPITALITY MEMBERS is for businesses and individuals who support Paso Robles Wine country offering industry-related services for wine consumers. Hospitality members are an integral part of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance allowing the organization to represent all businesses benefiting from the growing wine industry. There are two levels of Hospitality membership; Patron and Promotion. Each Promotion level Hospitality member is represented in the Paso Robles "Tour Brochure".
Membership Categories
WINE INDUSTRY
Wine industry membership includes bonded wineries, wine tasting rooms, and wine grape growers located within the Paso Robles Wine Country. Wine tasting rooms must be owned by a bonded winery, although the bonded winery need not be located within the Paso Robles Wine Country. The Paso Robles Wine Country includes the Paso Robles and York Mountain viticultural areas as defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Dues are assessed on an annual basis and are dependent upon the type of membership: vintner or grower. Vintners include wineries and wine tasting rooms. Vintner members are charged a base fee, wine production assessment, planted vine acreage assessment and a custom crush assessment. Vintners are also eligible to advertise in the wine tasting brochure and the Web site. Grower members are charged a base fee and planted vine acreage assessment. All wine industry memberships are subject to an annual dues minimum. Each wine industry member is entitled to one vote in the Alliance. The Board of Directors is made up entirely of wine industry members; four vintners, four growers, and one at-large.
ASSOCIATE and HOSPITALITY
The Associate and Hospitality membership programs are designed for businesses or individuals who benefit by the success of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and its wine industry members. Wine industry suppliers, community businesses, wine enthusiasts and those considering entering the wine industry are among our Associate members. Restauranteurs, Caterers, Hoteliers and Innkeepers, Touring Companies and Speciality Shop Owners are among our Hospitality members. In the event an Associate or Hospitality becomes eligible for participation as a Wine Industry member, the membership may be converted. Initiation fees are waived and dues are pro-rated for those members converting to Wine Industry membership status.
Associate and Hospitality members are not eligible to vote or serve on the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Board of Directors, although they are encouraged to be active in the Alliance by volunteering to serve on committees or to volunteer at Alliance events.