Wine industry adds $220bn to US economy

The US wine industry pumped $219.9bn into the US economy last year, mostly from California, according to a new study released by WineAmerica.

The National Association of American Wineries measured the economic impact of the wine industry in all 50 states and found that the industry supports 1.74mn jobs in the US, generating $75.8 billion in wages.

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“Wine is an all-American art form produced in all 50 states, and the ultimate value-added product which preserves precious agricultural land, provides American jobs, attracts tourists, generates taxes, and enhances the quality of life,” said Jim Trezise, President of WineAmerica.

“We have long known intuitively that our industry’s economic impact was enormous, but it’s nice to now have hard numbers which illustrate that. As our industry grows, so will our many contributions to the American economy.”

Nearly 43 million tourists visited US wineries last year spending $17.6bn, according to the report.

“The American wine industry is a major economic engine, generating investment, jobs, tourism, taxes, and ancillary benefits to suppliers and local communities across the nation,” added lead analyst John Dunham.

“The production, distribution, sale, and consumption of American wine benefit many sectors of the United States economy.”

The study also released individual data for all 50 states and noted that the wine industry in California, New York, Washington, Oregan and Virginia had the highest impact on the economy.

There are currently 10,236 winery facilities in the US, with grapes grown on 677,629 acres of vineyards in 49 states.

"What this study does is just to remind people how economically important our industry is," Trezise concluded.