The grape and wine business has seen steady growth in the state of North Carolina with a recent study showing a 15 percent increase in the industry over the last 2 years. The wine business now has a total economic impact on the state of $1.97 billion.
The most significant change in the report is the increase in wine production. Since 2013, North Carolina wineries have produced 96 percent more cases of wine, up from the previous study of 569,000 nine-liter cases to 1,115,000 nine-liter cases today. The state also saw huge increases in wages paid to employees in the wine industries, up some 40 percent, as well as the retail value of wine sold and taxes paid to federal, state and local governments. Most North Carolina wineries rely on sales from their tasting rooms or direct sales to restaurants and retail stores, allowed in the state.
Source: WLOS-TV, September 2017