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CONCEPT PAPER

A Possible Structure of A

Wine Country Select Wines

Advocacy Oganization

Copyright by John Olney, Founder & Chairman

Wine Country Marketing & Promotions (WCM&P)

1325 Imola West, #409, Napa, CA 94559 PH: 707-299-9548

Objective of Wine Country Select Wines
To: Provide a voice to those smaller and lesser-known wine producers who cannot afford or do not wish (or both) to invest in their own “brick and mortar” operations to construct their wine products, nor have they elected to file for a federal Alternating Proprietorship permit.

The Goals of Wine Country Select Wines
To: Attract all of the California Alcohol Control Commission (CABC) License Type 17/20 wine producers and the bonded custom crush wineries who create their wines, to join WCSW and as a collective group lobby federal, state and local governments to develop laws and rules & regulations that are not detrimental to the well being of this segment of the wine production business.

-- Collectively gain a profitable position in the wine consumer market.

-- To have a voice in public policy decisions that could affect their economic well-being

The Mission of Wine Country Select Wines
WCSW will expand the ability of its participating smaller and lesser-known wine producing members to compete in the marketplace by providing a single, collective Web site in which all such wine producers may list a link to their individual Web site.

The collective will advocate the rights and interests of its members, without fear or favor, to produce, market and sell their wine, while being dedicated to preserving the unique individuality and stylistic diversity of its membership.
The collective will take an active participatory role with other advocacy groups in pursing strategies to open up domestic markets for direct-to-consumer wine sales in all U.S. States and Territories.

The collective will assist its members in marketing their wines by organizing wine tastings events throughout each year and in various locations. The scheduled tastings will allow these smaller and lesser-known wine-producing members to reach the wine buying trade as well as the public consumer in a cost-effective manner.

Membership in Wine Country Select Wines
WCSW is primarily composed of the smaller and lesser-known wine producers. Over 75% of the wineries produce less than 1,000 cases annually and approximately 40% produce less than 500 cases annually. The composition of the collective could be considered to represent the micro-size producers often labeled as “boutique wineries."

Voting Memberships are limited to wine producers (including their affiliations) who do not own “brick and mortar “ facilities through which to produce their wines.

The annual membership fee is set by the Board of Directors and is currently established at $_____ per membership.

Associate members are non-voting memberships and are open to any individual and business entity wishing to be involved with the WCSW organization. The annual membership fee is set by the Board of Directors and is currently established at $_____ per membership.

Organization of Wine Country Select Wines
WCSW is governed by 32 directors as described below:
-- 27 1-year regular directors selected on the bases of one from each of the districts listed on Attachment A. Each director is elected by a majority vote of the CABC Type 17/20 license holders domiciled within each respective district

-- Five at-large members nominated and selected by majority vote of the 32 directors listed above. There will be a single 4-year Director, two 3-year directors and two 2-year directors. These directors may not concurrently serve as one of the 1-year director from the aforementioned 27 regular directors.

Board positions are Chairperson, 1st Vice-Chair and 2nd Vice-Chair, each of which serves a one-year term. They are nominated and confirmed by majority vote of all 32 directors.

There is an Executive Committee of the Board and its composition includes the five at-large directors plus the Chairman of the board and the two Vice Chairs.

The board of directors may establish ad hoc committees to undertake specific objectives for the good of the advocacy group as they deem appropriate.

The Board of Directors elects officers who perform the roles of supervising day-day activities of the collective. They serve a one-year term. The officer positions are:
President
1st Vice President-Membership Drives
2nd Vice-President-Event Planning
3rd Vice-President-General Operations
Secretary
Treasurer

The WCSW officers hire the employees of the collective subject to confirmation by the Board Executive Committee. Employee positions are “at-will” designated. Staff positions available to be filled as needed are as follows:
General Manager
Director of Marketing
Director of Event Implementation
Director of Membership Maintenance & Communications.
Secretary

Membership Voting Rights
Each paid up CABC Type 17/20 wine producer member shall have a single vote on all issues brought before the membership.

START-UP PRE-ORGANIZATION

NOTHING BELOW SHOULD BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT ANY OF THE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRICTS LISTED IN ATTACHMENT (A) FROM ORGANIZING IN SILMILAR FASHION AND PARTICIPATING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

As Wine Country Select Wines is just in its formation state, and because CABC TYPE 17/20 wine producers of these two counties represent the majority of such producers within the state, and a few received suspensions from CABC for illegal donations and pourings at charitable events, we recommend that Napa and Sonoma CABC Type 17/20 license holders take the initiative to design and develop the advocacy group. We further recommend that each county be sub-organized as follows:

NAPA COUNTY
The subordinate Napa Select Wines (NSW) is governed by its own Board of Directors, which consists of 11 directors nominated from the ranks of the voting members and confirmed by a majority vote of the voting members. Eight directors are selected on the basis of one director each holding a business address representing each of the geographical areas listed below. These directors each serve a one-year term.
Calistoga
Angwin/Deer Park
Pope & Chiles Valleys and Lake Berryessa
St. Helena
Rutherford/Oakville
Yountville
Napa
American Canyon/Carneros

SONOMA COUNTY
The subordinate Sonoma Select Wines is governed by its own Board of Directors, which consists of 11 directors nominated from the ranks of the voting members and confirmed by a majority vote of the voting members. Eight directors are selected on the basis of one director each holding a business address representing each of the geographical areas listed below. These directors each serve a one-year term.
North Sonoma County
North Russian River
Central Russian River/Healdsburg
South Russian River/Windsor
Coastal Sonoma
Santa Rosa
Alexander Valley
Petaluma/Sonoma/Carneros

For Both County Organizations
There are also three at-large directors for each subordinate county who are nominated from the ranks of their respective voting members and confirmed by a majority vote of those voting members. They must hold a business address situated within their respective County and they serve terms as follows: Four-year director, Three-year director, and Two-year director.

The subordinate Board of Directors elects officers who perform the roles of supervising day-day activities of the subordinate collective. They serve a one-year term. The officer positions are:
President
1st Vice President-Membership Drives
2nd Vice-President-Event Planning
3rd Vice-President-General Operations
Secretary
Treasurer

These subordinate collective may avail itself of the office staff hired by WCSW and may apply to same to hire temporary employees as required.

NOTHING ABOVE SHOULD BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT ANY OF THE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRICTS LISTED IN ATTACHMENT 1 FROM ORGANIZING IN SILMILAR FASHION AND PARTICIPATING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

ATTACHMENT (A)
MAJOR WINEGROWING DISTRICTS
AMADOR
CALAVERAS
CLARKSBURG
EL DORADO
LAKE COUNTY
LIVERMORE
LODI AREA
MADERA
MARIN
MENDOCINO
MONTEREY COUNTY
NAPA COUNTY
NEVADA COUNTY
PASO ROBLE
PLACER COUNTY
RAMONA
SAN BENITO COUNTY
SAN DIEGO
SAN LUIS OBISPO
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
SANTA CRUZ
SANTA RITA
SIERRA
SONOMA COUNTY
SUISUN
TEMECULA