/PRNewswire/ - The California wine and winegrape sector and allied businesses deliver a total economic contribution of $57.6 billion annually to the state's economy and $114.1 billion annually to the U.S. economy according to a new report commissioned by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers.  California wineries and vineyards also directly and indirectly generate 325,000 jobs in California and 786,000 jobs across the nation.  The report, "The Economic Impact of California Wine and Grapes 2015" prepared by John Dunham & Associates of New York, was presented today at a Joint Informational Hearing of the California Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Assembly Select Committee on Wine held at UC Davis. 

 The report shows growth of 17% in statewide impact (from $49.2 to $57.6 billion) and 19% in national impact (from $96.0 to $114.1 billion) in the past seven years.  This strong growth during a period that started with the Great Recession and continued with slow recovery shows the strength and resiliency of the nation's number one wine-producing state as a positive economic force across the nation.  John Dunham & Associates used new methodology for the 2015 report and has also adjusted the 2008 economic impact numbers so that the comparison in growth would be comparable.