Maryland Wineries Grow Sales by 11% in 2010

Maryland wine continues to grow in popularity, albeit at a slower pace than Virginia wines. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Annual Report, which comes from the Office of the Comptroller, shows Maryland wineries increased sales by 11% in 2010. This translates to 100,000 more bottles sold than in 2009. Total sales, across all Maryland wineries, topped $17 million.

Peter Franchot, Maryland Comptroller, said this in a press release:

I am extremely pleased to see the remarkable growth of the industry and I
am confident that with continued strategic support from the state, Maryland
wineries will continue to grow and play a vital role in our economic success

Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Christian S. Johansson, added:

It is exciting that Maryland’s vibrant wine industry is continuing to
grow, create jobs and help sustain our economy, Maryland wine is a first-rate product and draws thousands of wine enthusiasts each year to our State to attend our annual wine
festivals, sample our wines, our food and our crafts.

In addition to growth at existing wineries nine new wineries were licensed in 2010.