Pavone and Pennsylvania Winery Association team up to collect stories

The Pennsylvania wine industry has many stories to tell, but the stories the state’s 140-plus winery owners would really like to hear are the ones from their millions of fans.

That’s the basis of a new campaign created by the Pavone called “Pennsylvania Wine Stories: There’s a Story Behind Every Cork.” The promotion for the Pennsylvania Winery Association (PWA) will also benefit the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL).

The effort asks wine lovers to visit PennsylvaniaWine.com, the PWA Facebook page, or a participating winery to share their Pennsylvania wine stories and read some of the many tales submitted by other wine lovers. For every story submitted, the PWA will add another cork to its growing collection, which will be transformed into a sculpture at the end of the year – and donate one dollar to the NCFL, an organization that inspires and engages families in the pursuit of education and learning together.

“If you’ve got good wine, a good story isn’t far behind,” said PWA President Sam Landis, a second-generation owner and operator of Vynecrest Winery in Lehigh County.

Stories will be collected through October 2011. After October 31, one story from each of Pennsylvania’s seven wine regions will be chosen as a finalist and a public vote on the PWA website will determine the winning tale.

The campaign is funded, in part, by Pennsylvania’s Wine Marketing Research Board (WMRB). For more information about Pennsylvania wines, including a list and map of Pennsylvania wineries, visit PennsylvaniaWine.com. Details about the NCFL and its mission can be found at FamLit.org.