Washington wine industry says Washington wine industry is awesome
The Washington Wine Commission has released a press release that details the economic importance of the wine industry in Washington state:
The Washington wine, grape and grape juice industries contribute $3 billion annually to the state’s economy and more than $4.7 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to a new study commissioned by the Washington Wine Commission and the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers.
According to the release, the industry employed 19,000 people for a combined $579 million payroll in 2006, or slightly less than $30,500 per person. The 1999 numbers were 11,000 employees, $350 million payroll and just under $32,000 per person.
The number of wineries in the state has grown from 160 in 1999 to 534 in 2006. Winery revenues grew to $436 million from $289, which means that revenue per winery decreased from $1.8 million to $0.8 million.
You can read the release here (Update: I changed the link so that it now points straight to Washington Wine Commission’s website). I’ll link to the full report once it hits the ‘Net.
Update: Here is a sampling of the news coverage of the release:
Rudabeh Shahbazi at Yakima, Washington, TV station KIMA:
According to the study, 1.7 million people visit Washington just to try its wine. That’s five times the number it was just a few years ago.
“This shows us not only how the wine industry impacts eastern Washington and Washington, but that it has a ripple effect throughout the nation,” said Vicky Charloau, of the Association of Wine and Grape Growers.
Shannon Dininny, Associated Press (if you’re going to read only one article on the release, read hers, it’s the best of the bunch):
Industry leaders say the report released Thursday confirms that the state’s wine industry is leading to increased visibility for Washington’s wines and driving efforts to tout the state as a tourism destination.
“One of the important messages is the fact that we need to routinely measure ourselves and stand up and be counted,” said Vicky Scharlau, executive director of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. “Without this kind of proof of our economic impact to the state, it’s difficult to continue growing.”
…
The Washington Wine Commission is building a marketing plan aimed at 5 percent annual growth in sales over the next five years. It is targeting specific U.S. cities — Austin, Texas, Denver and Phoenix — as well as international markets in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada.
Heidi Dietrich, Puget Sound Business Journal:
Washington wineries also impacted the national economy, contributing more than $4.7 billion annually. The state’s wine sector was responsible for $269 million in federal taxes and 29,000 jobs nationwide.
In 1987, winemakers in Washington produced 3.6 million gallons of wine. In 2006, they made nearly 20.1 million gallons — about 3 percent of the nation’s total.
That’s just a blip compared to California wine producers, who made 576 million gallons in 2006. But Washington’s gaining on them.
Tags: Washington