Preferred Stock Offering FAQ
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Winery Owner through our Preferred Stock Offering (NASDAQ: WVVIP). Please use this page as a helpful resource. If you have any questions, please call the winery at (503) 588-9463 or email [email protected]. By law, we are authorized to answer only questions covered in this FAQ and specific to the Prospectus.
The prospectus is posted online under our Ownership Invitation tab at www.wvv.com or at www.wvv.com/ownership. It can also be emailed or mailed in hard copy. Give us a call at (503) 588-9463 if you have questions.
To invest, please review the prospectus, then submit the Application & Subscription Agreement to Willamette Valley Vineyards.
View PDF of Application
Purchase Stock Online
You may submit the application and subscription agreement in one of three ways:
- Complete the DocuSign agreement by clicking on the “Purchase Stock Online” button above. (Recommended)
- Print the PDF application, fill it out and email the completed paperwork to [email protected].
- Or, mail it to:
Willamette Valley Vineyards
8800 Enchanted Way SE
Turner, OR 97392.
Preferred Stock Owners receive an annual dividend of 22 cents per share, paid at the end of the year. They may, in lieu of a dividend check, select an Owner Benefit Credit, which is their dividend amount plus a 15% value increase. Owner Benefit Credits can be used to purchase wine and other items from the winery and are typically issued in the fall of the year prior. For all subscriptions accepted during 2026, dividends for those shares will begin accruing on January 1, 2027. Preferred Stock Owners also receive a 25% discount on wine purchases. They do not vote a proxy annually as Common Stock owners do. Preferred Stock was first sold in 2015.
Common Owners have voting rights, but do not receive an annual Dividend or Owner Benefit Credits. Common shares were first offered from 1989 to 1993; many of our Common Owners are Founding Owners who helped Founder Jim Bernau in the winery’s early days. They helped not only with their investments but also by working in the tasting room, vineyard and winery. Others have purchased more recently on the NASDAQ through online brokerages or using their personal stockbroker.
Yes. There are a few options to choose from on the subscription agreement form. If you have any questions, we recommend consulting with your financial advisor to discuss options.
Some of the more customary types of Ownership are listed below:
- Individual (line 1): Only one individual name is listed on the account. Upon the individual’s death, the shares are subject to probate proceedings.
- Joint Tenants (lines 1 and 2): Two or more individuals are listed as joint tenants on the account. Upon the death of one joint Owner, the surviving joint Owner is entitled to the deceased’s shares.
- Tenants in Common (lines 1 and 2): A form of Ownership where two or more individuals are listed on the account. Each tenant owns an undivided interest. Upon the death of one tenant, the decedent’s Ownership passes to the heirs of the decedent’s estate and not the surviving Owners on the account.
- TOD Beneficiary (Transfer on Death) (lines 1 and 3a): A form of individual or joint tenant Ownership where a beneficiary has been designated. Only one beneficiary can be designated per account registration. Upon the death of the security Owners, the Ownership passes to the TOD beneficiary. TOD is not offered outside of the United States.
- Trust (lines 1, 3a and 3b): A form of Ownership governed by a trust agreement created during the lifetime of a grantor or created under a decedent’s will. The account registration must include the names of the Trustees, the name of the Trust, and the date of the Trust. The date must be the original Trust date and not an amendment date. A date will not apply to a Trust that falls under a will.
To combine your accounts, please use the same information, including your address and Social Security number, throughout. This also includes the process of registering your shares. For example, if you originally registered your shares as Person One & Person Two JT TEN, listing your shares as an individual, trust, etc., this would now result in two accounts with our transfer agency, EQ. However, you will only have one account with us in our system unless you request otherwise.
Yes, the maximum is set per person and not per household.
Yes, the minimum amount for this offering is 150 shares and the maximum is 5,000 shares.
Certificates will be issued in January 2027. If you have not received yours by March 2027, please contact the winery at [email protected] or (503) 588-9463. Shares of Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock will be issued on or before December 31, 2026, for all subscriptions accepted during 2026. Dividends for those shares will begin accruing on January 1, 2027.
Note: It is recommended that you keep your stock certificate with other valuable papers in a safe deposit box or other secure location.
Owners are offered an Owner Benefit Credit (previously known as a Wine Credit) in place of the check dividend they accrue each year. We add a 15% value to your dividend when you select the Owner Benefit Credit. Additionally, you may apply your 25% Owner discount to wine purchases, resulting in significant savings. Owner Benefit Credits never expire and will continue to roll over year after year. This can be a great option for people who want to save up for something like attending a Pairings Dinner or a Winery Suite stay.
Think of it like a digital credit that stays on your account until you’re ready to use it. It’s great for purchasing wine, food pairings, merchandise, room rentals, winery suites and admission to events, among other things. You can also use it to purchase anything on our website. We do not have a reinvestment program and your Owner Benefit credit can not be used to purchase more shares.
Processing can take up to three or four weeks to complete. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call us at (503) 588-9463. Please check your emails for communications from our Ownership Services team throughout the process.
Yes! To purchase shares for someone else, enter your information in the payment section (page 1), including the cardholder’s name and billing zip code. For the investor(s) portion listed on page 2, list the name of the person you are gifting the shares to. Please note that if this is intended to be a surprise, we do reach out to the listed person, so we cannot guarantee there will be no contact once their account is set up.
Yes, but only before your shares are registered. Please contact us via email at [email protected] or phone at (503) 588-9463 for assistance with this change.
We will notify all new Owners via email once they are accepted. Please note these emails will come from [email protected], so if you haven’t seen an email, be sure to check your spam folder. If you haven’t received anything, call us at (503) 588-9463.
Our goal is to give new wine enthusiasts as many opportunities as possible to join our Owner community. This is why we’ve chosen 5,000 as the maximum number of shares per person. Our Ownership Services team can make exceptions, so a decision on your subscription may be delayed.
If you select an Owner Benefit Credit with 15% more value, you’ll have access to your Owner Benefit Credits in the fall of each year. The Board of Directors approves the annual payment of the dividend. Dividends are issued at the end of the year and mailed to stockholders on or after January 1 of every year.
You will have access to your Owner discount as soon as your subscription agreement is accepted, generally within one to two business days of being billed.
Equiniti Shareowner Services (EQ).
www.shareowneronline.com
1-800-401-1957
Email via a “contact us” page found here.
A transfer agent is a financial services company that manages and tracks registered shareholders for companies that issue stock. As a transfer agent, EQ handles the recordkeeping, reporting and communications for hundreds of U.S. corporations and their millions of shareholders around the world. For more information, please visit their “What Is A Transfer Agent?” article.
To set up an online account with EQ, please visit their website: www.shareowneronline.com. You will need your EQ account number and the email and address associated with your Ownership, unless they have been updated. Reach out to us if you have any questions!
We recommend checking their FAQ’s for commonly asked questions. For any other inquiries, please feel free to reach out to Ownership Services at [email protected] or by calling (503) 588-9463.
Yes, you will receive a 1099 if you own WVVIP stock. Even if you elect your dividend in the form of an Owner Benefit Credit, you would receive a 1099 (not including the additional 15% added value). 1099s are sent in early January by our transfer agency, EQ. You can view your 1099 on your online EQ account, or a hard copy will be mailed to you if you haven’t elected online access.
If you do not receive it by the end of January, please contact Ownership Services at (503) 588-9463 or [email protected]. You can also access your 1099 digitally through your EQ online account. Their website is www.shareowneronline.com.
Yes, but please note that the deadline for dividend selection is around the end of November 2026.
To order your Owner Cards, please email Ownership Services at [email protected] with your name(s), phone number and/or email you would like displayed on your cards. Owner Cards typically take up to 7 weeks to ship because we order them from a third-party company.
As a note, we offer one initial complimentary set of Owner Cards. These cards help you spread the Oregon wine story and make connections. Owners receive discounts and benefits at Willamette Valley Vineyards, but these do not extend to other wineries.
Please contact us at Ownership Services by emailing [email protected] or calling (503) 588-9463. When an event sells out, we can add you to a priority waitlist for the event or a similar future event. You can also reach out to your Winery Ambassador for assistance in making reservations for specific events. By reaching out to us, you help us gauge Owner interest in our events.
If you have not heard from your Winery Ambassador, please let us know. As an Owner, one of your benefits is the personalized care of an Ambassador. You can contact us at [email protected] or (503) 588-9463.