Econ Quiz: Wine Industry in Wisconsin

October 2021


Between 2001 and 2020, U.S consumption of wine grew from 550 million gallons of table wine to 870 million gallons in 2020. On a per-capita basis, that equals an increase of 2.16 gallons (in 2001) to 3.09 gallons (in 2020), regardless of age. During this same period, the U.S. saw a steady increase in the number of wineries and jobs in the wine industry. Wineries grew five-fold from 1,006 in 2001 to 5,024 in 2020. And the total number of jobs increased from 23,363 (in 2001) to 63,820 (in 2020) – the peak number of jobs was in 2019 at 70,596.

Wisconsin kept up with the national trend, increasing the number of wineries from 16 in the early 2000s to 66 in 2020. The number of winery jobs in the state also increased from 212 in 2006 to a peak of 670 in 2019. Wisconsin’s wine industry was not isolated from the impacts of COVID-19. Despite a significant increase in the number of jobs from 2001-2019, there was still a decline from 2019 to 2020.

How many people were employed in Wisconsin wineries in 2020?

A. 226

B. 427

C. 540

D. 584

 

ANSWER

Answer D.  584 people in Wisconsin were employed in its 66 wineries. Interestingly, Wisconsin in 2020 was in roughly the same place as the State of Oregon prior to the explosion of its wine industry. At the start of our time period, in 2001, Oregon had 65 wineries employing 837 people, growing to 337 wineries employing 3,310 people in 2020. Although Wisconsin’s climate and topography differ significantly from Oregon’s, it will be interesting to see if the next two decades are as fruitful for Wisconsin wineries as the last two were for Oregon wineries.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1 Aug 2021). Industry On Tap: Wineries. 


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