ROANOKE, Va. (AP) _ Wine producers and experts say grape production in Virginia hasn’t kept pace with the growth of wineries.

As a result, The Roanoke Times (http://bit.ly/1VhnWeK ) reports that wineries are paying higher prices for grapes grown in Virginia.

Villa Appalaccia owner Susanne Becker says her winery paid $900 a ton for vidal blanc grapes three years ago. Today, these grapes cost $1,300 a ton.

A wine must have at least 75 percent Virginia fruit to have a Virginia label.

Virginia Tech professor of viticulture Tony Wolf says the industry and the state are aware of the problem. But he says grape growing is expensive.

Annette Ringwood Boyd with the Virginia Wine Board says the number of wineries has jumped from 119 in 2007 to more than 250 today.