Wine Production by State

Wine Production by State

The United States of America is the fourth-largest producer of wine after Spain, Italy, and France. Wine is produced in almost all the states of the country, with some states such as California, New York, and California producing a larger percentage. The wine produced (in Gallons) across all the states and their share in the total American wine production as per 2022 are listed in the table below.

State	Wine Production (Gallons)	Wine Production Share	Year
California	680,272,512	84.39%		2022
Washington	40,747,190	5.05%
New York	27,969,308	3.47%
Pennsylvania	12,405,181	1.54%
Oregon	11,822,972	1.47%
Ohio	5,938,739	0.74%
Michigan	2,576,238	0.32%
Kentucky	2,176,059	0.27%
Vermont	2,172,526	0.27%
Virginia	2,157,395	0.27%
Texas	1,907,299	0.24%
North Carolina	1,903,060	0.24%
New Jersey	1,832,325	0.23%
Florida	1,634,103	0.20%
Indiana	1,411,540	0.18%
Tennessee	1,279,752	0.16%
Wisconsin	1,129,405	0.14%
Missouri	Wines from 31	0.12%
Massachusetts	792,884	0.10%
New Mexico	749,818	0.09%
Colorado	556,994	0.07%
Idaho	497,007	0.06%
Maryland	436,185	0.05%
Illinois	391,805	0.05%
Iowa	335,522	0.04%
Minnesota	331,945	0.04%
Georgia	276,144

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Some facts about the major wine-producing states of America are as follows.

California

California is the 4^th largest wine producer in the world and the biggest wine producer in America with a share of 84 percent in the American wine production. The state has an area of 635000 acres under grape production. . Out of the area, 256975 acres is under wine grapes production. The state grows more than 300 grapes varieties that are supplied to more than 1200 wineries.

Wine production was started by Spanish Missionaries in the 17^th century who planted the vineyard with each mission they established. With the phylloxera epidemic, the vineyards were destroyed in the late 19th century. However, the vineyards recovered in 1960s, and in 1976 California wines were the winner in the Paris Wine Tasting of French and California wines. The French wines were considered the best at that time.

Washington

Washington is the second-largest wine producer in America after California which contributes around 5 percent of total American wine production. The state has 55,000 acres of vineyards that produce around 210,000 tons of grapes. The state has 1050 licensed wineries that produce more than 17 million cases of wine annually.

Wine production in Washington was started by Italian emigrants in the Walla Walla region during the 1860s and 1870s. The first grape variety planted in the state was the CinsaultIn 1910s, the prohibition severely affected the wine industry and all the wineries went out of business.  However, in  1988, Washington-based, Chateau Ste Michelle was named “Best American Winery” and in 1989 five Washington wines made Wine Spectator‘s “Top 100 list” for the first time.

New York

New York is the third largest wine-producing state in America after California and Washington. The state has 11,000 acres of land devoted to grape production. The 57,000 tons of wine grapes are supplied to over 470 wineries of the state. The major grape variety produced in the state is Vitis labrusca which makes up 83% of total grape varieties.

The wine production in New York was initiated by Dutch and Hangouts in the Hudson Valley. Commercial wine production was started in the 19^th century. The state has the oldest operating winery in the United States that is making wine for the last 175 years.

 Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania state has a share of 1.54 percent (2 million gallons) in the total wine production in the United States. The state has more than 1400 acres of land dedicated for wine production that supplies wine grapes to around 300 wineries.

William Penn first began vineyard production in Fairmont Park in Philadelphia about 330 years ago. The first hybrid grapes of European and North American were discovered in the state. The country’s first commercial vineyard was established in Pennsylvania.

Oregon

Oregon is the fourth-largest wine-producing state in America. The vineyards in the state cover around 31,000 acres of land that produce around 60,000 tons of grapes. More than 70 varieties of grapes are supplied to more than 700 wineries of the state. Pinot Noir is the most famous wine which was rated at the top in the wine Olympics of 1979.

Grapes were first produced in the region in 1847. In the 1850s, the first winery was founded by Peter Britt in Jacksonville.

This Day in Wine History

1492: The history of wine in the United States can be traced to the earliest days of European colonization as early as 1492. The Spanish quickly established vineyards throughout Florida and California, and soon after, French settlers planted vines in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana [1].

1933: When Prohibition ended and many wineries were forced to close down due to lack of demand for their products or because it was too expensive to produce them without alcohol sales revenue coming into play.

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References

[1] Pinney, Thomas. 2005. A history of wine in America : from prohibition to the present. N.p.: University of California Press.