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SAN FRANCISCO - 07/08/04 - California's wine industry grew by 40%, creating 207,550 full-time jobs, with a total of $7.6 billion in gross wages between 1998 and 2002, according to a recently published industry analysis commissioned by the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

According to the report - The Economic Impact of California Wine 2004 - the retail value of California's wine production during the four-year period rose 24% to $15.2 billion, the number of California wineries increased by 24%, and the number of farmers growing grapes went up 9% with acreage devoted to wine grapes climbing 11% to a total of 481,264.

Compiled by MKF Research, the study determined that the California wine industry pumped $45 billion into the state's economy during the target period with wine ranking as the state's third-largest agricultural export in 2002 with overseas sales of $486 million.

Iin terms of specific wine sales, it said the state produced more than 3 billion bottles of wine in 2002 - an increase of 20% from 1998 - with a combined retail value of $15.2 billion.

The report notes challenges facing industry, including increased competition from overseas producers in, for example, Australia and Chile; a recent oversupply of grapes; an economic downturn; and damaging insect infestations.

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