September 3, 2024 - Terri Williams

"In Arizona we love to surprise our visitors with the unexpected and we can do that by highlighting the wines produced here, many of them award-winning, while sharing the stories of places and the people who created them," stated Lisa Urias, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.

The burgeoning wine industry will continue to be a source of pride for Arizona and an important part of the state's agribusiness.

In Arizona, the wine industry has shown explosive growth over the past decade: between 2011 and 2023 it saw a 677% increase in visitor spending on wine tourism experiences, and a 500% growth in industry-related employment, according to a study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute at Northern Arizona University for the Arizona Office of Tourism.

That analysis also showed that the state's current 156 wine producers represent a 200% increase, up from just 52 in 2011.

"The industry's tremendous growth can be attributed to several factors, including the promotion of the state's major wine regions, the development of a wine industry workforce, and the proliferation of tasting rooms and vineyards," the study attributed.