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Jessica Sabbath// September 24, 2014//
Virginia wine sales reached another record in the commonwealth’s most recent fiscal year.
Virginia wineries sold more than 521,000 cases of wine, or about 6.25 million bottles in fiscal year 2014, 2 percent higher than the sale of 511,000 cases in the previous year.
Since fiscal year 2010, Virginia wine sales have grown almost 26 percent.
During the year, wine sales improved at wineries, but grape production flattened for a variety of reasons, including early spring frosts. That meant that sales off site remained the same or decreased.
“I expect to see more growth in the future as we work to build a new Virginia economy,” Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said in a statement. “Our biggest challenge at this time is to get more grape vines planted to meet the increased demand for our products both at home and abroad.”
Virginia wine contributed more than $1.7 million in wine liter tax collections for the state during the year.
With more than 250 wineries, Virginia currently ranks fifth for its number of wineries. The commonwealth is also the country’s fifth-largest grape producer.
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