The wine industry is booming in the United States — and a new study funded by nonprofit WineAmerica has the numbers to prove it. Across the country, folks in wine-related careers — from production and cultivation, to marketing, wholesale, and more — are projected to contribute a collective $276 billion for the United States economy in 2022.
On Sept. 19, The National Association of American Wineries published an economic impact study of the wine industry. It includes a state-by-state report outlining the various economic impacts of wine production, shipping, distribution, and retail. The comprehensive study also includes on-premise consumption in its data collection.
Wine accounts for around 1.28 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP), according to the report. That represents the work of nearly 1.84 million Americans employed in salary-earning careers related to vino, earning a collective $95.5 billion in earned wages and benefits each year.
Wine-related endeavors also contribute a hefty number of tax dollars to the economy. Industry members and employees will pay an estimated $22.83 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. Wine’s projected excise and sales taxes amount to $8.15 billion.
The study includes economic and production data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Economic research firm John Dunham & Associates conducted the study using econometric models developed by the U.S. Forest Service.
“The American wine industry generates close to $276.07 billion in total economic activity, dramatically illustrating that wine is the ultimate value-added beverage. The broader economic impact flows throughout the nation, generating business for firms seemingly unrelated to the wine industry,” the report states. “Real people, with real jobs, working in industries as varied as farming, banking, accounting, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, printing, and advertising depend on the wine industry for their livelihoods.”
Wine has cemented itself as a significant segment of America’s financial system. So go ahead and buy that bottle you’ve been coveting — if only to support the economy.
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