Younger People Driving Wine Growth

Winery Owners Discuss Keys to Success at Wineries Unlimited

Chris Torres
Staff Writer

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — Here’s some news that will make wine makers want to pop open a bottle of the bubbly: wine consumption continues to increase, with no end in sight.

At least that’s the result of a 2007 study that was presented last Friday by one of the nation’s largest wine research organizations.

Jennifer Pagano of Wine Market Council, presented the results of the study at last week’s Wineries Unlimited convention at the Valley Forge Convention Center.

The convention, billed as “the largest of its kind East of the Mississippi,” featured four days of workshops and presentations as well as a large trade show, all geared to not only educating the most experienced wine afficionados, but newcomers as well.

In recent years, wine consumption has continued to increase, with many states not typically known for wine, including Pennsylvania, increasing their overall production.

Consumption went up again in 2007, according to Pagano. Total wine consumption in the U.S. was around 300 million cases last year, which Pagano said enabled the U.S. to pass Italy as the number two wine consuming nation by volume. Consumption per person, however, still lags behind Italy and France, who are the world leaders in that category.

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