America is increasingly a country of wine-drinkers and this fact has had a remarkable effect on the economic development trends in some regions. While California is widely hailed as THE state for producing wine it has come encountered some stiff competition in recent years as wine from other states -- including unlikely candidates like Oregon, Washington, Virginia, and the Finger Lakes region of New York -- gains in popularity. Interestingly enough, the newfound interest in wine has brought with it a new set of economic development opportunities. Consider the following:
* In North Carolina there has been a slow movement away from tobacco and towards wine as the number of vineyards in the state has tripled in the last six years and local economies have rushed to stay with the trend. The Yadkin Valley region north of Charlotte has been the primary source of the change but many parts of the state are beginning to pair their own attractions, like barbeque or NASCAR, with wines. New businesses are cropping-up to serve an emerging tourism based on wine tastings including bed & breakfasts, small bistros and bakerys, and limousine services to ferry visitors from one tasting to the next.
* Oregon is building on its already $1 billion annual wine industry by having Wine Country Thanksgivings with tastings open to the public over a weekend when families are often in one place and looking for something to do locally. The result is a high demand for staff during that weekend and a significantly increased demand for wine from the region over the past few years. Some vineyards have actually stopped participating in the event as they have now sold out of their stock and have nothing left to offer.
* Some farmers in Iowa have shifted from traditional crops like soy and corn to planting grapes. According to the New York Times, a new winery has been registered every two weeks the last year and the state has hired its first oenologist to aid new winegrowers. Wine is merely an excuse for vineyards like Summerset to offer concerts, festivals, and even grape stomps to tourists and residents alike. As one assistant winemaker told the paper, "This is a tourist industry. If we were here just as a winery, I wouldn’t have a job. You have to develop a base, and we do that with harvest parties and weddings."
This is definitely a fun emerging trend to watch since it offers some regions a perfect opportunity to transform or re-focus their economic development efforts. Enjoy your weekend everyone, see you Monday.
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