Volunteer Playbook

2007 General Assembly

Dear Supporter of Virginia Wines:

Thank you for your commitment to the Virginia Wine Industry and our important issues for 2007. This is a critical time for our industry. Your support of, and enthusiasm for, our issues will lead to success!

Enclosed within this Volunteer Playbook you will find:

1. Contact sheet with daily schedule, important numbers, and dates.

2. Where to stay, park, and what to do

3. Tips on how to meet with legislators.

4. Some suggestions on what to do if you want to help, but cant be in Richmond.

5. Sample letters for communicating with legislators.

6. Contact Sheet for legislator which you will fill out following communication with your delegate or senator.

7. And two pages of talking points.

We need everyones energy! Grab a friend, co-worker, or neighbor and come to Richmond! We cannot express the critical nature of our industry at this juncture!

Thank you again remember we are at a critical time for the Wine Industry and we all need action NOW.

Contact Sheet

Daily Schedule, Key Dates, and Important Numbers

Each day in Richmond, well follow this schedule --

Morning --meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Alliance Group Office at 9 South 12^th Street. Here we will review the days schedule and what important assignment each volunteer will have. After the brief meeting, we will walk up the hill (about a five-minute walk) to the General Assembly. Liz Bryant and/or David King will meet volunteers at the Alliance Group office each day. David will be the contact on-site at the Capitol.

Mid-morning on MONDAYS meet at 10:30 in 5^th floor conference room (either 5 East or 5 West) of the General Assembly building. This will serve as an update and regrouping session. The first meeting is Monday the 12^th of January. On other days, we will update and regroup at lunch.

Lunch  We suggest meeting in the cafeteria of the General Assembly Building. Its located on the 6^th floor and has a selection of both hot and cold menu items. We will use this time to take a break, assess the work done in the morning, and lay out the game plan for the afternoon. Expect your day to wrap up generally in the range of 5:00.

Upcoming Key Dates 

January 18^th -- VIRGINIA WINERIES ASSOCIATION LOBBY DAY Please plan to be in Richmond for this very important day of lobbying.

Key Contacts --

David King, Chairman, Va. Wineries Association Legislative Committee and on-the-ground contact point

Office: 434.823.2966

Cell: 434.882.3200

info@kingfamilyvineyards.com

Terri Cofer Beirne, Esquire, General Counsel and Lobbyist for the Va. Wineries Association

McCandlish Holton, PC

1111 East Main Street, Suite 1500

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 775-7233

tbeirne@lawmh.com

Liz Bryant, PR & Media Relations Advisor, The Alliance Group
9 South 12th Street, Suite 300 Richmond VA 23219

Ph: (804) 648-6299

Liz@AllianceGroupLtd.com

Willis Logan and Randy Phillips, volunteer coordinators

Willis -- cell: 540.520.2957, office: 434.985.2834, e-mail: wlogan@vawineclub.com

Logistics

Where to Stay, How to Get Here, What to Do

There are many hotels in the downtown Richmond area. The following are within easy walking distance of the Capitol --

Omni Richmond -- 804-344-7000

100 S. 12^th Street, Richmond, VA

Berkeley Hotel 804-780-1300

12^th and Cary Streets, Richmond, VA

Marriott Richmond -- 804-643-3400

500 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA

** Remember this is a busy time for the General Assembly. Please call ahead to make your reservations.

The easiest way to get directions is to go to the Mapquest website www.mapquest.com . Enter your starting point with the Alliance Group address 9 South 12^th Street, Richmond, VA 23219 being the destination. It will give you exact directions, plus the estimated travel time. There are a couple of parking garages in the vicinity of the Alliance Group office enter both off of Cary Street just before you get to 12^th one under the Omni Hotel, the other under the Bank of America building. Expect to pay $15 to $20 for parking daily. Dont opt for street parking as there is a two-hour limit and many streets have time-of-day restrictions, as well.

What to do?

- Come prepared.

- Look at your cheat sheets. Study the issues, keep up with the press.

- Be prepared to be patient and flexible.

- Know that your time is well-spent and that your efforts are GREATLY APPRECIATED.

How to Prepare for a Meeting with Your Legislator

GROUND RULES FOR MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS

1. Always be polite, even if they disappoint you.

2. Be on time, even if they are not.

3. Stick to your talking points!

4. Leave a fact sheet and a business card.

5. Do not be afraid to speak with the aide.

6. Be patient. You may have to wait for an hour for two minutes. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TWO MINUTES.

7. Ask for favorable consideration. Thank the legislator for his/her time and courtesy.

8. Go with a group of people who represent different segments of your comments.

9. Present the facts in an orderly, concise, positive manner.

10. Listen to their views.

11. Never lie or evade a question. If you dont know the answer, promise to get back to them.

12. Have a sense of humor.

13. Dress and act with respect.

14. Keep emotions under control.

15. Never criticize other legislators or colleagues.

16. Send a thank you letter. Follow-up on any questions you could not answer and/or send any materials they requested.

17. TAKE NOTES AND BE PREPARED TO RELAY BACK TO GROUP.

WHY NOT TO BE INTIMIDATED

· Legislators want to meet with their constituents.

· Most legislators are very personable.

· Legislators like to talk to people.

· Most legislators are not experts on the issues.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

· What specific action do I want my legislator to take? Know what you want to accomplish. Do I want my legislator to vote favorably on the bill, so-sponsor the bill, or do I just want to get acquainted?

· How does my legislator usually vote on the issue? Know your legislator in order to decide how to approach the visit.

· Who are my allies? Where is the media on this issue? Is there a coalition working on my issue? If so, might these other groups have influence on my legislator? How might this information shape my comments?

· How can my legislator help? Is he/she a leader of a committee or do they have influence with another important representative. Know your legislators power.

· Background information about legislator will help you know what to emphasize in the meeting.

· What do I know about my legislator? Does he/she have any special expertise or interests?

After the meeting answer these questions

Fill out the after meeting-sheet.

What do I need to make sure that the group hears?

Other insights? Do we have other friends in the delegates/senators district that we can contact?

Other connections?

How to Communicate with Your Delegate and

Senator During the 2007 General Assembly

THE #1 WAY TO COMMUNICATE IS TO VISIT RICHMOND, BUT IF YOU CANNOT &

Virginia Online Legislature: http://legis.state.va.us

The Virginia General Assembly web site has contact information for legislators, committee membership and schedules, and much more. You can even determine who your Delegate and Senator are by clicking on Whos My Legislator Quick Links.

Constituent Viewpoint Opinion Line: 1-800-889-0229; in Richmond (804) 698-1990

Call this number between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily to register opinions on legislation before the General Assembly and have your opinions quickly communicated to your legislators.

Each Legislators Phone Number: The phone numbers for each legislators office at the General Assembly Building can be obtained from legislative information and the web sites above. They can also be determined as follows:

For Delegates, dial 804-698-10xx, replacing the xx with the delegates two digit House district number.

For Senators, dial 804-698-75yy, replacing the yy with the senators two-digit Senate district number.

E-mail Addresses at the General Assembly

House of Delegates: del(first initial)(last name)@house.state.va.us

Senate of Virginia: district(__)@sov.state.va.us

Parentheses ( ) indicate information that varies for each legislator. (e.g., after district insert the two digit number of the Senators district, such as 01. Do not include the parentheses in the e-mail address.)

FAX Numbers: 804-786-6310 (House of Delegates)

804-698-7651 (Senate)

Mailing addresses for legislators:

House of Delegates, P.O. Box 406, Richmond, Virginia 23218

Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396, Richmond, Virginia 23218

[Sample letter for constituents to send to legislators]

Your Name

Address

Phone

E-mail

DATE

The Honorable Name

[House address General Assembly Building, P.O. Box 406]

[Senate address Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396]

Richmond, VA 23219

Re: Support for Winery Self-Distribution Legislation

Dear Delegate Last Name/Senator Last Name:

Im one of your constituents and am very concerned about the crisis facing the Virginia wine industry in our Commonwealth. Not only from the obvious perspective of the winery owners, but from a personal perspective as well. We have nearly 120 wineries in Virginia and Id put the wines of many of them up against the best that the West Coast states have to offer. Theyre great products and I enjoy being able to share them with out-of-state visitors as I brag on our growing presence as a destination for wine in this country.

What causes my concern is the legislation passed last year albeit forced by a court ruling that took away the wineries right to self-distribute their products. If a small winery cant sell direct to stores and restaurants, we all lose. The winery loses money and the owners and employees of that winery have their livelihoods at stake and the Commonwealth of Virginia loses money because there are fewer outlets selling a fine, competitive product that brings visitors to this region. And, selfishly, folks like me lose out because I dont get to enjoy and share one of the finest agricultural products on the East Coast.

So, Id like to ask you to support or even sign on as a co-patron legislation in the House by Delegate Chris Saxman and in the Senate by Senator John Watkins. The bills would restore the right of wineries to self-distribute up to a limit of 3,000 cases annually. This would apply to both in-state and out-of-state wineries. It would ensure that the little guys dont get shut out of business and would enable them to grow at a reasonable rate and get to the point where they would need an independent distributor. These bills are fair to everyone.

So again, I urge you to support or sign on as a co-patron of the self-distribution legislation offered by Delegate Saxman and Senator Watkins.

Thank you again for taking the time to consider my concerns as one of your constituents.

Sincerely,

Name

[Sample letter for winery/vineyard owners to send to legislators]

Your Name

Winery/Vineyard Name

Address

Phone

E-mail

DATE

The Honorable Name

[House address General Assembly Building, P.O. Box 406]

[Senate address Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396]

Richmond, VA 23218

Re: Support for Winery Self-Distribution Legislation

Dear Delegate Last Name/Senator Last Name:

I am one of your constituents and I own Name of Winery/Vineyard in Location/County and am writing to urge you to support or even sign on as a co-patron of legislation this year by Delegate Chris Saxman and Senator John Watkins. The bills one in the House, an identical one in the Senate will essentially save the wine industry in Virginia. This may sound like an overstatement, but let me explain and I think youll agree.

In 2006, forced by a court ruling, the General Assembly passed legislation that took away the small (and large) wineries ability to self-distribute our product. This was a devastating blow. As of July 1^st a major avenue for us to bring in needed revenue was taken away. [Insert three sentences about how this has affected you and your business.] So, you can see were left with quite a problem.

This years Saxman/Watkins legislation would correct the problem and set up a system beneficial to all involved. It basically allows for a winery in-state or out-of-state -- to self-distribute up to 3,000 cases of wine annually. This accomplishes several important goals. It encourages the establishment of more new wineries in Virginia. There will be more and less expensive -- Virginia wines on the shelves in stores and on wine lists in restaurants across the Commonwealth for residents and tourists to enjoy. And it will enable wineries to grow to a point where they would need an independent distributor that is financially beneficial to both.

So again, I urge you to support or sign on as a co-patron of the self-distribution legislation offered by Delegate Saxman and Senator Watkins.

Thank you again for taking the time to consider my concerns. If I can be of any help to you with more information or clarification of questions, please let me know. My phone and e-mail are listed above.

Sincerely,

Name

Title

LEGISLATIVE CONTACT SHEET

Name of legislator contacted

Date/time/location of meeting

Brief summary of conversation

Any follow-up needed? By whom?

Name and contact information for volunteer meeting with legislator

Please complete and fax this sheet to Terri Cofer Beirne at 804-775-3800.

THANK YOU

Save Virginia Wines

The Virginia wine industry is on the verge of a crisis. And we must act NOW to save it.

Saving Virginia wines doesnt just mean saving wineries. It means saving the vineyard owners who produce the fruit. It means saving suppliers involved in the industry. And ultimately it means saving the entire Agri-Tourism business in the Commonwealth and all those who benefit from the visitation that the wine industry draws into Virginia. And to do this, two major areas need to be addressed --- self distribution and land use restrictions ---- both of which are critical to ultimate survival. Visit the General Assembly website at http://legis.state.va.us and look at the following bills for more information HB2450, HB2493, SB1062 and SB1205. Please encourage your legislators to support these bills.

Changes effective July 1, 2006 made it illegal for Virginia wineries to sell directly to retailers and restaurants ---

what we call self-distribution. Wineries and wholesalers are on the same side --- after all, were both in the business of selling wine --- but many wineries are at a disadvantage simply because of their size. Theyre the small, family farms. They have neither the flexibility in revenue nor the quantity of product to make working with a wholesaler profitable --- quite honestly for either side. Under the current scenario, both industries stand to lose.

If the cap for self-distribution were set at, say, 3000 cases, then it would be a win-win. The wineries would be able to get their product to market --- and be able to sell it --- at a reasonable price with a reasonable profit for them. And they could grow to a size where they would be profitable for a distributor. The distributors wouldnt be burdened with trying to market small customers instead of the more profitable large scale producers. And the ultimate winners, of course, are the consumers and all those involved in the Agri-Tourism industry in Virginia. Consumers are seeing the effect of the elimination of self-distribution. There will continue to be fewer choices of Virginia wines on the shelves and what you do find will carry a higher price. Its simple economics. If self-distribution were still an option, youd find just the opposite --- a greater variety of wines at a lower cost. Better for the winery, better for the wholesaler, better for the retailer, better for the consumer.

The other key area is related to restrictive land use issues. There are counties in Virginia that restrict the

number of customers that a winery may invite to their tasting room and in some localities it is impossible to have a tasting room at all. Every business must have customers. Why should wineries have a more restrictive business climate than other Virginia businesses? We need to ensure that county governments do not place undue restrictions on winery owners with respect to activities at their places of business. Government needs to work with wineries --- in a partnership --- in order to establish commonsense regulations that will allow the businesses to be good neighbors, while at the same time be able to draw enough visitors through special events to be profitable, and thus, successful contributors to the Commonwealths bottom line.

Save Virginia Wines

For more information, please contact:

Terri Cofer Beirne, Esq. Liz Bryant, PR & Media Relations Advisor

McCandlish Holton, PC The Alliance Group

804-775-7233 804-225-5829

tbeirne@lawmh.com liz@alliancegroupltd.com

SAVE VIRGINIA WINES

˜ Saving Virginia Wines involves a two-pronged approach. We need to work on the issue of self-distribution, as well as the issue of land use restrictions. Both are key to ultimate success in saving the industry. .

˜ In 1979, there were only six farm wineries in Virginia. In 1980, the Virginia General Assembly under the Farm Winery Act, exempted farm wineries from the three-tier system of alcohol distribution, meaning they did not have to sell through a wholesaler. They could self-distribute their product. Today, there are nearly 120 wineries across the Commonwealth. Coincidence? Or direct result?

˜ As of July 1, 2006, it became illegal for wineries to self-distribute their product. The median sized winery in Virginia produces about 2,500 cases of wine per year. It is estimated that the impact on these family enterprises through the loss of self-distribution is as much as 30 to 40 percent lost sales annually. This could mean the end for many of the smaller, family-owned businesses, the lifeblood of commercial enterprise in Virginia.

˜ Currently about 1/3 of Virginia wineries use wholesalers. But, without some form of self-distribution, many, if not most, of the smaller wineries will not be able to grow enough to attract a wholesaler to represent them. Again, that could spell the end for these small wineries.

˜ Virginia wine isnt just about enjoying the body and flavor of the fermented grapes. According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, wineries and vineyards serve as a tourist draw in Virginia. This has an impact on the entire Commonwealth --- visitors spend money in hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. This benefits us all.

˜ Support for self-distribution for both in-state and out-of-state wineries at a reasonable level --- say 3,000 cases --- makes sense.

˜ Wineries also need our help with respect to land use restrictions. Government needs to work with wineries --- in a partnership --- in order to establish commonsense regulations that will allow the businesses to be good neighbors, while at the same time be able to draw enough visitors through special events to be profitable, and thus, successful contributors to the Commonwealths bottom line.

˜ These efforts --- working together --- will enable us to Save Virginia Wines. Visit the General Assembly website at http://legis.state.va.us and look at the following bills for more information HB2450, HB2493, SB1062, and SB1205. Please encourage your legislators to support these bills.

Save Virginia Wines

For more information, please contact:

Terri Cofer Beirne, Esq. Liz Bryant, PR & Media Relations Advisor

McCandlish Holton, PC The Alliance Group

804-7757233 804-225-5829

tbeirne@lawmh.com liz@alliancegroupltd.com

Notes