Wine industry developments in the Pacific Northwest: A comparative analysis of British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon

The grape and wine industries in the Pacific Northwest have evolved in quite different ways. The expansion of the wine industry in British Columbia has been driven by increased competition resulting from the enactment of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement in the late 1980s. In contrast, the grape and wine industries of Washington State and Oregon have expanded in response to global market trends in consumers changing life styles and wine preferences. In this paper, we explore the changing production and export trends of the Pacific Northwest wine industries over the last decade and analyze how these trends have been influenced by government regulations, business organizations, and export promotion programs. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.