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www.cheersonline.com 27 April 2015 • www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • 27 www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • www.cheersonline.com 27 www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • 27 www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • 27 www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com 27 April 2015 • HOW MA NY STATES IN THE U.S. PRODUCE WINE? ALL OF THEM—EVEN HAWAII BOASTS TWO PRODUCERS, WHILE ALASKA HAS FIVE WINERIES. For certain, the U.S. wine industry is booming: Production nearly doubled in the 15 years from 1998 to 2013—from 494,000 gallons to 836,000, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. There are now 8,000 wineries in the U.S., according to Wine America, the national association of American winemakers. Just 15 years ago, there were closer to 3,500 wineries, "so I think we've possibly reached the plateau in terms of expansion," says spokesperson Michael Kaiser. "I think we'll see current wineries planting more vines rather than the number of wineries growing." Half of the wineries are in California, and in terms of production, California produces 90% of U.S. wine (728.94 million gallons in 2013, the most recent year for which fi gures are available). Washington is next, producing 34.14 million gallons of wine, followed by New York (27.15 million gallons) and Pennsylvania (10.27 million gallons). Several other states have developed robust wine industries. Here are fi ve other U.S. wine regions we think you'll be hearing more of in the next few years. IDAHO It may come as a surprise, but the wine industry growth in Idaho is far outpacing that of its potato business. Idaho produced 805,000 gallons of wine in 2013. The state, which boasts high elevations, volcanic, well- drained soil and temperature swings, has 51 wineries, most of which have taken off in the past 15 years, though a handful have been around since the 1970s. The state can't yet hang its hat on a standout varietal, says Moya Shatz Dolsby, executive director of the Idaho Wine Commission in Boise, "but our rieslings and viogniers are excellent, and in reds, syrah, merlot, tempranillo and malbec are all doing phenomenally." Idaho's wine industry received a big boost in 2007, when its Snake River AVA (American Viticultural Area) was approved. This region includes 30 wineries and vineyards, mostly clustered around Boise. Second and third AVAs are now pending, for the Lewis Clark Valley and Eagle Foothills. Juniper restaurant in Boise serves only wines from Idaho, Washington and Oregon, where "you can fi nd any grape you want," says owner Kacey Montgomery. Of the 35 wines the restaurant offers, about a third are from Idaho. Local wines tend to cost a dollar or two more, Montgomery says, "but it's worth it. When people come from out of town, they want a Boise experience. And people from the area are proud of and love the local wines." Juniper also hosts monthly winemaker dinners "because the winemakers here are super accessible," she adds. "They talk at the dinner about how they made the wines, and the chef talks about the pairing." The 13th Street Pub and Grill in Boise serves as many local wines as possible, says co-owner Scott Graves. "The only issue we've ever had is that wineries from a small AVA need to charge mid- to upper-tier prices." But he says that prices are starting to adjust since the industry is growing, and local restaurants are willing to take less of a profi t on local wines. The 13th Street Pub revamped its wine program this past November, adding 12 tap wines, four of which are local. It has two other local wines by the bottle. A local winery is producing a house wine for the pub, which Graves will name and design a tap handle for. The tap wines cost $7 to $12 a glass, with the Idaho wines falling in the middle of that range. ARIZONA Most growth in the Arizona wine industry started in the late 1970s in Sonoita, which was classifi ed as an AVA in 1984, says Rod Keeling, president of Arizona Wine Growers in Pearce, At the Detroit-based Epicurean Group, Michigan wines make up about 10% of the wine lists at the company's three fi ne-dining locations. /////////////////////////// /////////////////////////// Keeling Schaefer Vineyards in Pearce, AZ, harvested its fi rst fruit in 2005 and began selling its wines in 2007.