September 2007 marks the third consecutive year that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed the month of September as California Wine Month.  The Governor's proclamation comes in recognition of the state's unparalleled scenic beauty, diverse landscape, climate, and soil which all come together to produce some of the world's premium wines.
 
This proclamation also recognizes the people behind the wine industry that include a talented pool of ingenious Winemakers and Winegrowers who are leaders in Sustainable Winegrowing.  With more than 2,400 wineries and 4,600 grape growers, California produces 90% of all U.S. wine and stands as the world's fourth largest wine producer.

View Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Proclamation.

Building on the success of previous years, many prominent retail and restaurant partners - new and returning - will showcase California wines all month long. Look for special promotions at these locations: Safeway, Costco Wholesale, Beverages & More!, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Trader Vic's Restaurants, Legal Sea Foods, Perbacco Restaurant, Kimpton Hotels, Charlie Palmer Steak, 701 Restaurant, The Oval Room, Bardeo, Ardeo, The Bombay Club, Rasika, Napa Valley Grille, California Caf鬠Blackhawke Grille, Caf頄el Rey, Horizons, and MacArthur Beverages.  Also look for special offers and recognition related to California Wine Month from the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Magazine, and the California Restaurant Association.

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