The Virginia Wine Coalition is pleased to announce that the development of the “Toast Virginia” campaign is officially underway. This important initiative aims to celebrate Virginia’s thriving wine industry and support the businesses that are the heart of it.

Why the “Toast Virginia” Campaign is Important

The “Toast Virginia” campaign is being developed as a vital counter-campaign against what is described as a “neo-prohibitionist threat” targeting Virginia’s wine industry.

Research highlights the growing concern:

  • A Gallup poll cited in August 2024 indicates increasing support for “neo-prohibitionist” views, with nearly double the number of Americans (39%) believing moderate alcohol consumption is harmful compared to 22% in 2005.
  • Data from the 2024 GO Virginia Region 9 Wine Industry report, which gathered self-reported data from 59 wineries, found that 75% reported concerns over falling tasting room visitation.

These findings make it clear that investment in driving increased tasting room visitation is needed and is expected to provide a strong return. The campaign seeks to foster a sustainable, thriving wine industry, safeguarding Virginia’s viticultural heritage and economic vitality by countering anti-alcohol narratives with positive, authentic stories.

How We Are Putting the “Toast Virginia” Campaign Together

The development of the “Toast Virginia” campaign is a collaborative effort involving partners across the Commonwealth. This initiative is being funded by support from the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office.

Our approach involves several key components:

  • Developing Compelling Marketing Materials: We are creating high-quality visuals and engaging narratives to showcase wine’s essential role in Virginia’s cultural, culinary, and social fabric.
  • Highlighting Key Messages: The campaign emphasizes wine as an integral part of Virginia’s culture and heritage, showcasing the artistry and passion of Virginia winemakers, and presenting wine as a culinary experience highlighting partnerships between local food and wine. It also champions wine as a social connector and promotes responsible wine consumption to dismantle outdated stigmas.
  • Creating Resources for Wineries: A crucial part of the initiative is developing resources to empower wineries to effectively communicate their value and defend against misinformation. This includes creating marketing toolkits with messaging guidelines, social media best practices, talking points, images, and video, and conducting webinars for winery staff.
  • Employing a Multi-Channel Approach: The campaign utilizes Content Marketing & Storytelling, including visuals of vineyards, winemakers, food and wine pairings, people enjoying wine responsibly, and the contribution of vineyards to agriculture and the environment. Narratives will include winemaker profiles, culinary partnerships, visitor experiences, and community impact stories. Partnership Activation involves empowering wineries, leveraging localities and DMOs, encouraging cross-promotion, and enhancing the winery experience.
  • Encouraging User-Generated Content: A key element will be encouraging visitors and consumers to share their Virginia wine experiences using the hashtag #toastvirginia, fostering a community around Virginia wine.
  • Partner Collaboration: Participating partners are working together to inform content creation, provide venues for photography and videography, and supply outlets for campaign messaging through email and social media marketing.

The campaign targets traveling couples and friend groups, drawing on data that shows wine visitors are more likely to be married or with a partner (64%) compared to other overnight visitors (55%). Wine visitors also tend to be younger, have post-graduate degrees, be employed full-time, and have higher household incomes. Key out-of-state and in-state target markets include New York, NY (11% of wine visitors) and Washington D.C. (10% of wine visitors), representing significant markets with potential for expansion.

Development is currently underway, with content and messaging development scheduled for June-September 2025, and the official campaign launch planned for October 2025.

Stay tuned for more updates as we develop the “Toast Virginia” campaign to celebrate and support Virginia’s exceptional wine industry!