US states announce joint UK tasting

The US West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington will be teaming up to create a joint UK trade tasting for 2014.

Having previously held their own annual tasting event in January, Oregon and Washington State producers will now appear alongside their Californian counterparts on Monday 17 March for a new event, called Go West!

Taking place at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster, London, the event promises to be the “most comprehensive tasting of US West Coast wines ever seen under one roof in the UK.”

John McLaren, UK director of the Wine Institute of California, described the decision as a “no brainer”, noting: “Pressure on people’s time and budgets means that one tasting, in one place, at one time makes great sense for wineries, importers and trade buyers.”

Meanwhile Rob Andersen, marketing director for the Washington State Wine Commission, highlighted the “good enthusiasm from Washington State wine folks for the collaboration”.

His views were echoed by Dewey Weddington, director of marketing at the Oregon Wine Board, who said: “We have built momentum for Oregon wines in the UK over the past seven years and it seems like it’s the right time to take the next steps. We are very excited about this new development.”

The decision by these three producing regions to collaborate for their UK tasting marks a similar development to the move by South Africa, Argentina and Chile, who teamed up for the first time earlier this year to create The Beautiful South event.