It truly is the center of international wine media. That's where you find the hub of international writers. Also, the U.K. is a very good test market because it is able to bring in wines and food from many different countries. If you can penetrate that market, it can be a good prototype to use in other countries. Third is Japan, where there is a long history of enjoying good, quality ingredients.
Wine is no different.
The wine coalition has successfully used a three-pronged approach to getting Northwest wines noticed. First and foremost are tastings. Wine is one of those unique commodities that has a common identity but everyone's taste is different. The display of Northwest wines is often accompanied by other local delectables from Hood River pears to Willamette Valley hazelnuts to Oregon Coast seafood. The coalition also uses MAP funds to do in-store promotions of Northwest wines.