In honor of Small Business Saturday, and the general push to support local businesses, it's worth highlighting just how small scale the wine industry can be. It’s still a good way for small, family-owned farms to make a profit.
The wine industry defines a small producer as one that produces less than 50,000 cases annually, or approximately 120,000 gallons.
According to the Wine Institute, there were 3364 wineries in California in 2010, and nearly all of them were family owned. The Family Wine Makers of California association boasted 550 members, 90% of who produce less than 10,000 cases annually. In contrast, the large-scale Bogle Vineyards sold 1,200,000 cases in 2010.
According to New York Wines.org, in 2008, 80% of New York State’s 240 wineries were Farm Wineries, with less than 150,000 gallons, produced from 100% NY grapes. Originally from New York, Constellation Wines sells 50,000 cases of wine a year, under labels like Woodbridge and Robert Mondavi Private Selection.
No comments:
Post a Comment