While in the running to become Willamette Valley Vineyards’ new CEO, Mike Osborn “went incognito” at some of the vineyard’s locations to get a real customer experience.

While ghost shopping in March and April, Osborn said, no staff “could pick me out of a lineup.”

“I was able to learn what they do and it’s a thrill, because the team is just so well-trained and so hospitable,” Osborn said.

Osborn, who stepped in as the CEO of Willamette Valley Vineyards last week, has no plans to retrain anyone on his staff. He said his goal as the new CEO is to continue improving the customer experience and expand the business, which is the region’s largest vineyard, to a national level.

The company announced Osborn as CEO on May 12, as longtime CEO and founder Jim Bernau plans to step back from the company. Bernau founded Willamette Valley Vineyards in 1983 and will stay on as the company’s president and chairperson, the announcement said. 

The company operates a 500-acre vineyard in the valley along with locations around the state. It is publicly owned by more than 27,000 people, according to its website, and is traded on the NASDAQ.

“This is more than a leadership change,” Bernau said in the May 12 announcement. “It’s an acceleration of our mission. With Mike’s energy and strategic expertise, we’re poised to bring Oregon wine to more tables and more markets than ever before.”

Osborn is originally from the Rogue Valley in southwestern Oregon. In 1998, he founded Wine.com, an online store which now sells over 11,000 wines. They include bottles from wine-growing regions along the West Coast and from as far away as New Zealand and South Africa.

In late February, Osborn said, he was asked to interview for the CEO position. Osborn and Bernau have known each other for years, and Osborn didn’t want to pass on the chance to continue Bernau’s work at Willamette Valley Vineyards.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me,” Osborn said.

Fresh on the new job, Osborn is not looking to change or fix anything at Willamette Valley Vineyards, but instead is focused on fine-tuning the company’s hospitality services and expanding its market outside of Oregon.

“My specific interest is (to) deepen that relationship with our shareholders, with our owners, and in the community impact as well, and that really comes through demonstrating that the wine and food and tourism is awesome for Oregon and something uniquely ours to hold on to,” he said.

Something unique about Willamette Valley, when compared to wineries in California, is its suites which allow visitors to spend a couple of nights at two of its locations. The Turner location also has an RV “wine enthusiast park,” which gives people the “glamping” experience alongside wine tasting and dining options, Osborn said.

Osborn hopes to elevate customers’ experiences to keep the company standing apart from other West Coast wineries that may not offer lodging.

Although Osborn said he did not yet have a set vision for his role at Willamette Valley Vineyards, he wants to work on expanding its sparkling wine production and modernizing the company’s communications and outreach.

One area the company will focus on expanding is its ability to sell directly to customers, wherever they may be, which will help tap into younger consumers who are starting to learn about wine.

“It’s a topic that I know a whole lot about, and we will, we will continue to accelerate that, and that really is a way to reach the digitally-savvy next generation wine consumer that we all want,” Osborn said.

Aside from the excitement of the new position, Osborn is approaching the role with awareness of how national issues will trickle down to affect Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Tariffs on international products, such as the corks the company buys from France, will affect business despite producing all of its wine within Oregon.

Osborn said he expects tariffs to impact the company’s restaurant, retail and wholesale finances.

“Rising costs are important. Again, wine is not a necessity, it is a luxury for consumers,” he said. “So we need a strong market. We need it to grow and so … those are threats for any product that’s non-essential.”

Another rising challenge in the wine industry, along with other alcohol producers, is that younger adults are drinking less.

To address that, Osborn believes in Willamette Valley Vineyards to educate consumers on its wine and how it’s made, helping put consumers’ worries at ease.

“I do think that one of the headwinds for the industry, as you probably know, is helping consumers understand moderation,” Osborn said. “Wine is food, and it’s meant to be paired with food, and it’s meant to be paired with friends and family too.”

Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].

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