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Statshot: Washington wineries, restaurants pack economic punch

By Seattle Business Magazine May 14, 2023

Wine bottles profile
Wine bottles profile
Tetiana Garkusha / iStock

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.

It’s probably the last thing on your mind when dining at your favorite restaurant or enjoying a Pinot at your go-to winery, but you’re providing a big boost to Washington’s economy.

  • 2: National rank as wine producer in U.S.
  • 80: Varieties produced
  • 90: Percent of wineries making fewer than 5,000 cases per year
  • 400: Wine grape growers
  • 1,050: Licensed wineries
  • 60,000: Wine grape acreage
  • 240K: Tons of grapes harvested in 2022
  • 17M: Cases of wine produced annually
  • $8B: Annual economic impact
  • 290,400: Eating and drinking jobs
  • 16,576: Eating and drinking locations
  • $19.5B: Eating and drinking sales
  • 9%: Percentage of total employment in state
Sources:  Washington state Wine Commission;  National Restaurant Association

BIG NUMBER

68.1 MILLION

The number of household memberships, at $60 annually, Issaquah-based Costco had at the end of its fiscal 2023 second quarter. Rumors persist that the company will soon raise membership fees.

Source: SEC

QUOTE

“Rack stores continue to be our largest source of new customer acquisition, accounting for more than 40% of newly acquired customers in 2022.”                       

Erik Nordstrom, CEO, Nordstrom, discussing why the company is investing in its off-price Nordstrom Rack stores.

Source: SEC

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