Originated September 25, 2008, 1st mod., December 14, 2008, 2nd mod June 21,2009.
Copyright all rights reserved by Wine Country Marketing and Promotions
1370 Trancas Street, #409, Napa, CA
American Wine Industry Hall of Fame, Museum and Foundation OVERVIEW
There is still a great deal of detail to be developed before the AWI Museum, HOF and Foundation could be fully implemented, but we are well along the way and encourage all interested parties to contact us about their interest in participating in its development and growth, and to provide recommendations and comments. The web site: http://www.amerwine.blogspot.com/">>contains more information about our American Wine Industry program recommendations.
In 2006, our founder, John M. Olney, was selected by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) as one of the top wine writers in America to participate in the voting process to select the inaugural inductees of the California-based wine industry individuals to the “California Vintners Hall of Fame.” In 2007, he was added to the Nominating Committee as well as continuing to be one of the wine writers casting his ballot for the selection of inductees. In 2008, CIA altered the format of the nominating and voting process for potential inductees by established the California Vintners Hall of Fame Electoral College of which Mr. Olney continues to serve on the nominating committee and is one of the 44 voting member that select the current round of inductees.
As he studied the ballot and voting process he quickly surmised that what is lacking is a program whereby not only individuals but organizations could and should be recognized from the entire country for their contribution to the American Wine Industry. Olney pointed out to his associates:
"Just as the early settlers migrated from the East to California, so did winemaking in America. These men and women who developed the initial industry in the East & South and Mid States deserve their place in the history of American Wine.
To not consider these early winemaking men and women would be like not including the great American efforts of John Glenn and his first orbit of earth and then start our space travel program with the Shuttle flights.
Therefore, we should initiate an America wide awards program that recognizes those of all 50 states and territories who have made significant contribution to wine growing, production, marketing, distribution and sales to the consumer from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico."
Purpose of the AWI Museum, HOF and Foundation There a number of important reasons why the American Wine Industry should be recognized for its value to the American lifestyle. Principal among these are:
To educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of wine production as an important part of American culture.
To promote the positive values of wine in the lifestyles of Americans.
"To assist in the development and preservation of the history of the American Wine Industry (AWI) through the spoken and printed word, radio, TV, film/DVD and the Internet
AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY MUSEUM
Purpose: To find, collect, preserve and display to the general public documents and artifacts of the various eras and regions of the American Wine Industry. Changing exhibits will be used to draw repeat visits to the museum by wine consumers as well as those from the wine industry itself.
Facility Projects and Programs:Building space will be dedicated to regional wine producing areas described elsewhere in this proposal and to the various sugar containing feedstock’s from which wine has been and is now being made throughout the USA.
To draw paying visitors to the building facilities and grounds the AWI organization would produce events such as listed below:American grape varietals Hybrid grape varietals Other feedstock’s
Invited speakersfrom the various regions throughout the USA and its Territories
Collected memorabilia and artifacts from the various regions hroughout the USA and its Territories
Theme wine tasting events in the following categories pe fruits Berries Honey Indigenous
REGIONS Two events per year dedicated to featuring the wines of each of the 12 sub-regions of the USA described elsewhere in this document.
AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME (AWIHOF)
EXISTING STATE HOF PROGRAMS The origin of the AWI HOF and Foundation is derived from the observation that a number of larger wine producing States has programs that identify and recognize the contributions made by individuals and organizations to the advancement of wine production within that particular State.
Ohio then to http://www.ohiowines.org/hall_of_fame.shtml
Washington The Hall of Fame by the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center: http://www.walterclore.com/
California Culinary Institute of America - California Vintners Hall of
Fame www.womenforwinesense.org
Wine Media Guild
There is one wine writer’s HOF selection and induction organization: the four trustees of this region - voted into office in even number years http://winemediaguild.org/about-the-wine-media-guild/ then to http://winemediaguild.org/hall-of-fame-inductees-2007/
There are also a number of food and wine type societies/institutions that sponsor somewhat similar programs to those State wine organizations mentioned above but rely mostly on popularity votes and thus are not true HOF programs based on contribution over longevity.
Regional Definitions
Because Mr. Olney found that there is such diversity in the source of the fermentable juices used and styles in wine producing areas of America, he recommends that the recognition of individuals and organizations should be conducted on a regional basis possibly as segmented as follows: (These numbers are based of 2005 count and are in the process of being updated at this time to reflect the best estimated as of December 2009
West (2079)
The nominees are voted upon by members of the wine industry. Individuals employed in the industry must register with the AWIHOF office establishing their credentials as performing in some capacity within one or more of the seven wine industry categories previously detailed.
AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
Mission StatementTo educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of wine production as an important part of American culture.
To promote the positive values of wine in the lifestyles of Americans.
AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The AWI Museum, HOF and Foundation will be a qualifying 501 non-profit company established with a Board of Trustees, slate of officers and paid staff members, augmented by a volunteer work group to document the history of wine in America, provide tours, information services to on-tine visitors of both buildings & grounds and Internet Web sites of the AWI.
Board of Trustees The founding trustees will be selected by the founding funding sponsors and they would serve a three- year period in office and then would implement future selections of trustees in a manner such as Mr. Olney describes below
At-Large Trustees ( 5 ) - They will serve four-year terms. These individuals will be nominated and voted upon by the registered members of the wine industry.
Trustee of Qualified Other HOF Organizations( 6 ) - They will serve three-year terms. Mr. Olney suggests that a permanent seat be offered to each of the existing HOF organizations cited earlier in this presentation, and any such organization in the future that the Board of Trustee feels is a legitimate representative of some field of the AWI. These organizations will nominate and vote for their selected representative to the Board.
Regional Trustees (24) - They will serve two-year terms. He suggests that initially two (2) willing parties be located from within each of the 12 regional areas cited earlier in this presentation, to be the first occupants of the Regional Trustee seats. Thereafter these seats would be selected by nomination and voting by only members within each of the respective 12 regions.
The full Board of Trustees will select the following positions from among their membership:Chairperson1st Vice Chairperson 2nd Vice Chairperson SecretaryTreasurer
Executive Committee (11) The Board of Trustees would select an Executive Committee from among their composition to oversee the routine operations of the staff officers, salaried/waged employees, volunteers and program effectiveness, This committee will be composed of the following membership:
Two (2) from the At-Large category - They serve a four year term. They are selected by vote of the five Trustees of this category
One (1) from the Other HOF category - Serves a three year term and is selected by vote of the six Trustees of this category
Eight (8) from the Regional category with two each from the four geographical areas of the 12 regions listed above. These members will serve two-year terms.
They are selected by vote of the Trustees of this category in the following
manner:
Two from the West
the eight trustees of the region - voted into
office in even number years
Two from the East:the six trustees of this region - voted into office in odd number years.
Two from the South:the six trustees of this region - voted into office in odd number years
Two from the GL and MW
Board Committees:
The Board may establish ad hoc committees as its membership deems appropriate but there will be the following standing committees of the board which are filled by voluntary commitment:
Finance and Audit
- Presiding member Treasure Program Development - Presiding member 1st Vice Chairperson Public Awareness and Promotion - Presiding member 2nd Vice Chairperson Facility and Property Operations and Maintenance - Presiding member Secretary
1. California (1200 wineries)
2. Washington (460)
3. Oregon (300)
4. Other (119) Coast : (5) - AK (3), HI (2), Territories (0)
Inland: (114) - AZ (24), CO (40), ID (23), NM (20), NV (1) , UT (6
East (328)
5. NY (179)
6. PA (70)
7. Other East (79) - CT (10), DE (1), ME (3), MA (12), MD (12), NH (2), NJ (24), RI(5), VT (10), Territories (0)
South (328)
8. VA (90)
9. TX (60)
10. Other South (178)
Gulf: ( 96) - AL (24), FL (14),LA (3), MS (55)
Inland: (37) - AK (4), , GA (20) , KY (7), TN (6),
Atlantic: (45) - NC (10), SC (24), WV (11)
Great Lakes and Central (287)
11. Central: (109)IA (20), KS (8), MO (50), MT (5), NE (5),ND (1), OK (15), SD (4), WY (1)
12. Great Lakes (178)IL (40), IN (30), MI (40), MN (16), OH (40), WI (12)
As currently envisioned, Hall of Fame floor display space would be dedicated to each of the 12 regional areas shown above.
Nominations for consideration of induction into the Hall of Fame
Anybody can nominate individuals and organizations to be considered for the HOF. Unlike other wine related HOF organ-ization sponsors, Mr. Olney does not believe it is a true reflection of the impacts on the American Wine Industry if the selection criteria is to only allow individual names to be considered since there are a number of influences that were developed on a team basis - whether university or private industry - wherein multiple contributors created a particularly valuable improvement to the American Wine Industry. Therefore Mr. Olney recommends that there be six categories in which individuals and organizations can be nominated for induction into the HOF as listed below:
Growers: Grapes, Fruits, Berries, Honey (Mead), Other sugar based feedstock resources
Vintners
Winemakers
These are the people who actually make the wine
Owners
These are the individual, famiiies and companies that envisioned the business and funded it and may or may not have been actively involved in the hands on operation of the facilities
universities scientists
Individuals
Institutions/Corporations Marketing and Public Relations
Individuals
Institutions/Corporations
Organizations – Printed, TV, Radio, Internet websites, movies/DVD
Writers – Columnists, Blogs, Historians, reporters, newsletters,
Distributors and Retailers
Institutions/Corporations
eriods of American Wine Industry History
Mr. Olney feels that the annual inductees might be derived in accordance with the following guidelines,“We are leaning towards selecting individuals and organization from each of what we call the three distinct periods of wine production within American. By doing what we s propose, we can offer each generation the opportunity to recognize those with whom their wine experiences were developed. This also ensures that history is retained by inducting those who came way before any of us in the industry today.”
The three eras that Olney recommends are briefly described below:
"Initialization and Migration" This period is defined as the time from the first arrival of foreigners to the new world up to year about 1825, with the start of America’s great period when it was declared that it ‘was our manifest destiny to make the United States, one country reaching from coast to coast.” This became part of what is known as "The Monroe Doctrine. " Wines were also being produced using non-grape feedstock’s
"Expansionism and Refinement”
The period from about 1825 through the enactment of Prohibition against the commercial production and consumption of alcoholic beverages in 1920 including the period of bootlegging of spirits, beer and wine until Repeal in 1933. This is the period when grape wine moved from just American varietals and their "foxy" taste to the palette, into production using European varietals with a much more refined after-taste. Wines were also being produced using non-grape feedstock’s.
"Resurrection and Perfection" This era commences with Repeal of Prohibition in 1933 to the present and constitutes the period when winemaking retreated from sweet, fortified wines and moved back to premium varietals and excellent generic wines produced in mass quantities. Meanwhile, wines were also being produced using non-grape feedstock’s.
Voting for AWI Hall of Fame Inductions>
