RMAVV Guidelines for the CWIDB Quality Committee
(emailed 6/13/03 to Doug Caskey)
  1. Results from the program should allow RMAVV some way of evaluating the program's effectiveness and provide information on how RMAVV can tailor its education program to strengthen our industry's weak areas.

  2. Equitable availability of funding to all participating wineries.

  3. Payment
    - Release of funds will occur on approval of the final program by the RMAVV BOD.
    - Additional changes to the approved program during the course of the program shall also be approved by the RMAVV BOD.
    - The above approvals can be handled via e-mail/phone for fast processing.
    - payment schedule - RMAVV shall reimburse CWIDB for 50% of costs as incurred up to a total of $18,000, paid as incurred.  CWIDB will need to invoice RMAVV.

  4. Minutes from all CWIDB Quality Committee Meetings shall be distributed shortly after each meeting to all RMAVV BOD members.  Bret Neal will attend the Quality Committee meetings as the RMAVV representative.
 
  5. Reports on the program to be presented at RMAVV meeting(s) within one year of the start of the program, including the following info.
      - Program design - final structure of the program, when they get it defined.
      - Participation  - how many wines, wineries, fiscal report on program

  6. A mission statement for the program.

The items below are concerns, thoughts and concepts brought up during our discussions that the Quality Committee might consider during development.  Bret Neal can discuss these items in depth with the Quality Committee as RMAVV's representative in that group.

  1. The main concern seems to be a lack of marketing in the project.

  2. Benchmark info - some standardized data benchmarks that will allow a
measure of progress over time.  (e.g. - mean, median, and range of numeric
scores from Beverage Tasting Institute)

  3. General recommendations for wineries and education - based on all info
collected.  Recommendations on general problem areas to allow RMAVV to
target its education resources to assist in overall quality improvement.
 
  4. Have the wineries that want to participate fund some of or all of the
testing costs, and/or increase the winery contribution.

  5. The testing to be done may be a board decision, or consider what BTI
may require in a program if they have such a thing.

  6. Can this program be used in studies of the perception of Colorado Wine
and how this program may be changing them.

  7. Create a CWQA sticker available to wines that score a 2-4 or 3-4 in
the BTI Testing or based on standards set by the independent panel.

 8. Non-RMAVV members should have a slightly higher participation fee
scale, if this is possible with the state funding.
 
 9. See if discounted lab prices negotiated for the program can be made available for additional wines beyond the program to be tested at the wineries expense.

nmj - 07/29/03