Spanish missionaries planted winegrapes in the 16th Century, making Florida the oldest winegrowing state, Jim Trezise, president, WineAmerica, writes on the trade group’s blog Florida’s wineries produce more than 2 million gallons, making the Sunshine State the country’s seventh largest wine-producing state.
While production is important, consumption is the real driver of Florida’s wine economy–especially tourism magnets like the Disney resorts and similar facilities. Due in large part to its huge tourism industry, Florida benefits enormously from the economic impact of the American wine industry, Tezise says:
–$11 Billion Total Impact
–88 Wine Producers
–550 Vineyard Acres
–99,108 Jobs
–$3.8 Billion Wages
–379,547 Tourist Visits
–$155.9 Million Tourist Expenditures
–$1.6 Billion Total Taxes
–$961 Million Federal Taxes
–$640 Million State and Local Taxes