July 1, 2016 — Todd Newhouse of Upland Vineyards was elected to be the Chairman of the Winegrape Growers of America (WGA) during the 2016 National Grape and Wine Policy Conference held in Washington, DC last month. An annual event, the Policy Conference is produced jointly with partnership with WineAmerica. Other WGA officers elected were Peter Martini of New York as Vice Chairman, and Dave Barber of the Atlantic Seaboard as Secretary/Treasurer.
Newhouse, owner of Upland Vineyards, also serves as the Board Chair for the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. Martini is the Vineyard Manager for Anthony Road Wine Company and Barber is a wine educator and certified wine judge who serves as the Secretary and Competition Chairman for the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association.
Since 1978 WGA has represented the national wine grape growing industry based on the power of unity, cooperation, and efficiency. WGA operates as the national lobbying arm of the domestic wine grape industry and provides a forum for communication and exchange of information among member states. WGA allows winegrape growers to have a voice regarding policy issues in important areas such as research, environmental concerns, wine taxes, international trade and government regulation.
The three day policy conference attracted nearly 50 grape and wine industry leaders from across the country to share concerns about their most pressing public policy issues. Attendees represented wineries, growers, and associations from 16 states.