U.S. Wine Production by State: Where Does Your State Rank?

The United States is the fourth largest wine-producing country in the world by volume. Italy ranks first with over 1.3 billion gallons of wine produced annually. France is next with over 1.1 billion gallons. Spain is third, with around 886 million gallons produced each year. And then there’s the U.S., which produces over 806 million gallons of wine per year. But where are those hundreds of millions of gallons of U.S. wine produced? Here’s a breakdown of U.S. wine production by state. You might be surprised by some of the results!

Note: these production statistics come from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The numbers for nine states were unavailable in the report.

Wine Consumption in the United States

The United States may rank fourth in the world in terms of wine production, but it ranks first in terms of wine consumption. Americans consume over 871 million gallons of wine every year. That is well ahead of France, which ranks second. The French people imbibe a little over 652 million gallons of wine per year.

However, when wine consumption is calculated per person, the U.S. doesn’t even crack the top ten. Portugal has the highest wine consumption per capita of any nation in the world. Each year on average, the Portuguese people consume just over 13.7 gallons of wine per person. France is second, with nearly 12.4 gallons consumed per capita each year. Italy ranks a close third, with a per-person consumption of nearly 12.2 gallons each year.

The Origins of U.S. Wine

The first wine produced in what would become the United States was made from scuppernong grapes in Florida around 1562. Wine was later produced in some of the American colonies, such as Virginia and North and South Carolina.

Nicholas Longworth founded the first commercially successful winery in the U.S. in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1830. This city was and still is much more well-known for its beer. By 1860, 36 breweries were operating in the city. At one point, Cincinnati was known as the Beer Capital of the World. But Cincinnatians also had a taste for wine in the mid-1800s. This launched a wine production explosion in Ohio. Within 25 years of that first winery’s opening, the state had 1,500 acres of vineyards. Ohio still holds its own in U.S. wine production, ranking sixth out of all U.S. states in the amount of wine produced each year.

U.S. Grapes

More than 7.5 million tons of grapes are grown in the United States each year. Grapes are the highest-value fruit crop grown in the U.S., with overall grape production valued at over $6.5 billion. Some U.S. grapes are sold as table grapes, raisins, juices, jellies, etc. However, more than 70% of American-grown grapes are used to make wine.

The States With the Most Wineries

California

It probably comes as little surprise that California has the most wineries of any U.S. state. Nearly 85% of U.S. wine is produced in California’s nearly 5,000 wineries. 95% of exported U.S. wine comes from California. The top five export markets for California wine are the European Union, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, and China. The wine industry brings around $71.2 billion into the state each year.

California wine dates back to around 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries began producing wine for religious sacraments. The state’s first vineyard was planted by Father Junípero Serra at Mission San Juan Capistrano in the 1770s.

California’s wine production grew modestly for the next 80 years or so, but things would change with the California Gold Rush. Beginning in 1848, settlers flooded into California in hopes of striking it rich. These settlers had a taste for wine, and it set the stage for California’s wine production to take off, beginning in the Sonoma and Napa regions in northern California. Winemakers quickly realized conditions in these areas were ideal for growing grapes. Today, northern California still boasts more wineries than any other part of the state.

The Problem of Prohibition

The upward trajectory of California’s wine industry seemed unstoppable, but it was not. The 18th Amendment stopped it in its tracks. When Prohibition became the law of the land on January 16, 1919, everything came crashing down for California wine producers. Vineyards were dug up, and wine cellars were demolished. A few survived by producing grape juice. Another small handful of wineries stayed afloat by producing wine for religious services and sacraments, an exception that was allowed under the 18th Amendment. But the vast majority could not survive the stranglehold of Prohibition. There were over 800 wineries in California at the turn of the 20th century. By the time Prohibition was repealed in 1933, less than 150 remained.

The industry mounted a slow comeback in the state. But another explosion in California wine was coming. If the Gold Rush was the first catalyst for California wine, the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 would be the second. At this prestigious event, a blind taste test ranked both California red and white wines ahead of prestigious French wines. The wine world has never been the same since. 

While an exhaustive list would be near impossible, some of the most popular California wines include ​​Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir.

Washington State

Washington is the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. There are over 55,000 acres of vineyards in the state. The wine grape is the fourth most profitable fruit crop in the state, trailing only apples, pears, and cherries. The cool climate of the Pacific Northwest is ideal for growing grapes for wines such as Reisling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. Washington produces just over 5% of all U.S. wine.

New York State

New York produces around 3.5% of U.S. wine. The Finger Lakes are New York’s most prolific wine-producing region. Vineyards were developed in the area during the 19th century. Long Island also features vineyards, the first of which opened in 1973. New York’s most popular wines include Concord, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Merlot.

The State With the Most-Visited Winery (It’s Not Where You Think)

It would seem only natural that the most-visited winery in the United States would be in California, but that is not the case. The winery that welcomes more visitors than any other is located in North Carolina. 

The winery at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, welcomes far more guests than any other U.S. winery. Around 1.7 million people visit the château each year, many of whom also swing by the estate’s winery during their tour.

The 250-room mansion of Biltmore Estate was built in the 1890s for George Washington Vanderbilt II. It is the largest home ever constructed in the United States. At one time, the property covered a mammoth 125,000 acres. Much of the land was later sold to the federal government for the creation of Pisgah National Forest. After that sale, the estate still sprawls over 8,000 acres. 

George Vanderbilt’s grandson, William A.V. Cecil, began planting grapevines in the early 1970s. This opened the way for the Biltmore Winery to be established in 1985, the most-visited winery in the United States today.

The States With the Fewest Wineries

Hawaii has the fewest wineries of any state in the U.S. with six. Wyoming has the second-fewest with seven. Third and fourth places belong to Alaska with 15 and Utah with 16 wineries.

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