US: Oregon wine industry keeps on growing

(CapitalPress) - Oregon wine industry's economic impact continues to grow.

An economic snapshot of Oregon agriculture shows the usual heavyweights at the top of the list: Cattle and calves, greenhouse and nursery products, and stalwarts such as hay, milk and wheat.

Wine grapes? They’re way down the list behind such blue collar crops as onions, potatoes and ryegrass. But ask a visitor or an urban Oregonian to name the state’s top agricultural product and they’d probably guess Pinot Noir wine.

They’d be wrong, but such is the swagger of Oregon’s wine industry. Although still small compared to the wine-making regions of California and Europe, it’s established a international reputation for making high-quality, expensive wines. Among people who don’t mind paying $25 or even $45 a bottle, Oregon wine is a drink of choice.

Statistics bear out the industry’s continued growth. The number of vineyards, acreage planted and crop value have increased sharply nearly every year since 2001, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Cash receipts for wineries hit $94 million in 2012, a record. The state has nearly 850 vineyards operating on more than 20,000 acres.

According to the Oregon Wine Board, the state’s wine industry employs 15,000 people and has a combined economic impact approaching $3 billion annually. It has been at the center of Oregon’s emergence as a place known for fine food and drink.

Travel Oregon, the state’s tourism department, cites a study that showed 55 percent of visitors engaged in “culinary activities” while here, compared to 17 percent nationally. Nearly one-third of  visitors purchased Oregon products several times after returning home, with 37 percent of them buying wine — by far the most-frequently purchased product.