CALIFORNIA WINE FACTS
Learn about California and Wine Related Facts
For the fourth consecutive year, Governor Schwarzenegger has proclaimed September as California Wine Month (CWM). The celebration anchors Wine Institute’s California First campaign to communicate the most important California wine attributes: our beautiful wine country landscape and ideal climate for wine; our talented and ingenious winemaking families, our celebrated lifestyle and cuisine; and our commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Paso Robles Wine Country brings California Wine Month home to San Luis Obispo County with a new program - Community Day 2008. Click here to learn more.
California wine regions, including Paso Robles, will be in New York City to kick off California Wine Month on Wednesday September 10 at the California Wine Rush Grand Tasting. This two part tasting will focus on new, unexpected and classic wines of California. Members of the trade and media are encouraged to contact the California Wine Institute for details. If you are a wine enthusiast and would like to attend the consumer tasting, click here for more information.
Prominent retailers and restaurateurs will again be active partners in this collaborative effort, including more national accounts, to promote California wine. 2008 partners include: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Beverages and More!, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Patina Restaurant Group, Tavistock Restaurants, Union Square Wines, Zachy’s Wine and Liquor, Morrell Wine, and Harlem Vintage Wine Shop and Bar.
In addition, Wine Institue is working with the California Restaurant Association, which sponsored a “Best California Wine List” competition among its members, and with the California Travel and Tourism Commission which has scheduled a TV spot with the Governor and First Lady to run in September and throughout the fall on a nationwide basis. A series of media, trade and consumer tastings in New York will be held at Espace in Manhattan with 10 California regional wine and growers associations and the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
For more information about California Wine Month, go to the California Wine Institute's Web site at www.californiawineevents.com. Here you will find a convenient list of wine related events from all around the Golden State.
Top Wine-Consuming State
California ranks first in wine consumption in the U.S., followed by Florida, then New York. In a recent study by Wine Opinions, food and wine magazines were cited as the top source of information about California wine regions. A close second is visiting the wine region. Check out An Insider's Guide to California Wine Country as compiled by some of the California wine region associations.
Variety is the Spice of Life in the Golden State
There are 96 American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) in California. Each is a distinct winegrape growing area recognized by the U.S. government, a testament to the variety of microclimates in the state. California has 96 of the 172 AVAs established in the U.S. There are more than 60,000 registered California wine labels.
Sustainable Wine Practices Take Root
The trend in sustainable winegrowing and winemaking practices is growing quickly in California. Vintners and growers who represent 40 percent of the annual wine case production and one quarter (125,000) of the state's wine acreage currently participate in the Code of Sustainable Wine Growing Practices program. Check out how The Greening of California Wine Country has taken root in some of the other wine regions in California.
The Family Farm Spans Generations in California
Family-owned businesses account for more than 90 percent of U.S. businesses, responsible for half of the country's gross domestic product and about three-quarters
of America's new jobs. Most of California's 2,000 wineries are also owned by families, adding to the unique character that makes a trip to California wine country so memorable. Check out this article on California Wine Families - The Next Generation.
Just How many Grapes are in that Bottle of Wine?
It takes about six to eight clusters, or approximately 600 to 800 wine grapes (2.4 lbs) to make a bottle of wine. One barrel of wine contains 740 lbs of grapes, equivalent to 59 gallons or 24.6 cases of wine.
What would great wine be without great food?
A trip to wine country is also an education into what new and fresh in seasonal cooking. Local restaurants focus on pairing regional wines with natural, farm-grown ingredients, often sourced from community farmers' markets. There are more than 400 certified farmers' markets throughout California, many of them in the state's wine regions. Check out this article on California-Style Wine Country Restaurants & Farmers' Markets.
California Wine is Good Business
| Full Impact of California Wine in California |
$51.8 billion |
| Full Impact of California Wine on the National Economy |
$125.3 billion ($73.3 billion generated outside California) |
| California's Finished Agricultural Product | Number 1 |
| Number of Bonded Wineries | 2,275 |
| Number of Grape Growers | 4,600 |
| Wine Grape Bearing Acres |
477 thousand |
| Wine Produced (750ml bottles equiv.) | 2.7 billion |
| Retail Value of California Wine | $17.8 billion |
| Full-time Equivalent Jobs | 309,000 in California 875,000 in U.S. |
| Wages Paid | $10.1 billion California $25.2 billion Nationwide |
| Taxes Paid in California | $3.1 billion California (State and Local) $1.8 billion Federal |
| Taxes Paid in Other States | $2.9 billion State $5.2 billion Federal |
| Number of Visitors | 19.7 million |
| Tourism Expenditures | $2 billion |
| Charitable Contributions | $115 million |
