Wine industry grows like a vine in Ohio; economic impact now estimated at $1.3 billion. The Ohio Grape Industries Committee estimates in a new report that the state’s wine and grape industry had a $1.3 billion economic impact on the Ohio economy last year — up from $786 million in a study completed five years ago. Ohio has crept up from being the 7th largest winemaker in the country to the 6th.  Wine-related tourism expenses were estimated at $321 million last year. Not only has it helped Ohio’s economy, it also now provides 8,067 full-time jobs in the state, an increase of more than 2,700 from the previous report.

The Bottom Line: Ohio winery headcount has grown to 265

At 265, the number of wineries now surpass the number of breweries in Ohio at 200.  The winery number has grown more than 50 percent in the past five years.  The estimated total of bottles of wine created in Ohio is around 6.2 million.