California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has designated September as California Wine Month
praising the state’s wine community for its contributions to the economy.  Given that, here
are some facts and figures about the industry.

• California is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world
• California produces 90 percent of all of the wine in the nation
• Wine-type grapes are grown in 46 out of the 58 counties in the 
  State and cover more than 527,000 acres
• After Disneyland, wineries and vineyards are the second most
   popular destinations for tourists in the state for a total of 14.8
   million visitors
• In 2007, chardonnay was the wine variety with the most acreage
  in the state at 94,000 acres and followed by cabernet sauvignon
  at 75,622 acres

The Wine Institute reports that 32 million tons of wine grapes were harvested in 2007. California
wine sales in the US reached all time high of 457 gallons in 2007 up from 449 million gallons in
2006 with a retail value $18.9 million. 

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.