(BSPR) - The executive director of the Idaho Wine Commission says the state is getting national attention for its wines.

Moya Dolsby credits a $400,000 annual budget funded through the state liquor tax and wine industry assessment as well as enthusiastic supporters.

Dolsby tells the Lewiston Tribune that she no longer has to beg restaurants and retailers to try Idaho wines.

The state's wine industry has grown from a single commercial winery in 1976 to 50 today.

In 2009, more than 3,200 tons of wine grapes were harvested in Idaho, producing some 327,000 gallons of wine. That has jumped to nearly 3,800 tons of grapes and about 434,000 gallons in 2012.

The industry contributes more than $73 million to the state's economy and provides nearly 700 full-time jobs