A Comprehensive Analysis of the Pennsylvania Wine Industry with Actionable Recommendations for Industry Improvement and Growth

Local wine industries are vital engines of agricultural economic growth, rural development, and sustainable long-term tax base creation. While the Pennsylvania wine industry has made admirable progress, the industry still has a poor collective reputation, high variance in product quality differential, and a perceived regulatory environment that creates negative externalities for local wine, agricultural production, and auxiliary enterprises. This comprehensive analysis attempts to diagnose and remedy all primary public policy, regulatory, state, non-profit, and non-state private actions that have impeded the Pennsylvania wine industry. A methodology of grounded theory qualitative processes, furthered by texting mining and document analysis techniques, were used to approach these issues. This included extensive data collection through relevant public and private actor interviews, internally shared data, analysis of thousands of Pennsylvania relevant industry documents, and a comprehensive collection of any relevant industry best-practices, industry economic reports, grey literature, peer-reviewed literature, and policy and procedures from relevant industry regional peers or aspirational regions. Multiple critical public and private findings were uncovered, including key regulatory issues within the Pennsylvania Liquor Code and Limited Winery License that create negative externalities impacting local agricultural production and the Pennsylvania wine industry. Moreover, private action findings indicate the need for improved collective reputation through quality insurance mechanisms. Informed by these primary findings, empirical literature, and validated industry-best practices, this study provides 50+ public and private policy recommendations designed to remedy and support the continual growth of the Pennsylvania wine industry