Washington Wine Update

Washington Wine Update

Washington Wine Industry Update. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Washington wine industry continues it’s phenomenal growth. Ryan Pennington is the Public Relations Director for the Washington Wine Commission.

PENNINGTON: All things considered 2010 was a great year for Washington wine. In spite of a lagging economic recovery and a curve ball or two from Mother Nature the industry is still healthy and growing. We’re now over 700 wineries; just past to 40-thousand acre mark and just Friday learned our total harvest was a new record of 160-thousand tons.

Pennington says that all indicators show the continued growth of the wine industry.

PENNINGTON: There’s no sign of this trend slowing down. Wine consumption is still on the rise. People who are traditionally beer drinkers or cocktail drinkers are experimenting and switching to wine. New consumers are coming online all the time and that bodes very well for the industry. There’s no sign of a change in that trend.

He says the education of the consumer is continuing.

PENNINGTON: One of the things we find when it comes to educating consumers is that the power of gatekeepers is strong and by that I mean most people learn about wine from a retailer or a sommelier and educating those gatekeepers about products and then having them pass that information along to consumers is really the best way to get the message out there.

If you have questions about a wine, just ask your local retailer.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

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