The Virginia governor’s office has been pushing the commonwealth’s wine industry as a way to boost the economy and cultivate its reputation as a wine producer around the globe.
Its latest move is the unveiling Thursday of “1813,” a blended red wine of which only 1,813 bottles were produced but will not be sold.
Have you tried any Virginia wines? What’s your opinion?
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The Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office will use the 1813 wine to market and promote the Virginia wine and wine tourism industries on statewide, national, and international fronts.
Export sales of Virginia wines grew by more than 300 percent, increasing from about 700 cases in fiscal year 2011 to more than 3,300 in FY12, according to the governor’s office.
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New sales to China and the United Kingdom drove a significant portion of the international sales.
Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with more than 230. Virginia is also the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producer.
According to a 2012 economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 individuals and contributes almost $750 million to the Virginia economy on an annual basis. In addition, more than 1.6 million tourists visited Virginia wineries in 2011.
What's your favorite Virginia wine?
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