SAN FRANCISCO, April 9 (UPI) — U.S. wine sales reached a record $34.6 billion in 2012 with California vintners accounting for 58 percent of the total, the Wine Institute said.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday U.S. wine sales climbed 2 percent over 2011 to 360.1 million cases worth $34.6 billion.
U.S. wine exports, 90 percent of which originate in California, rose 2.6 percent to $1.43 billion.
California overall shipped 250.2 million 9-liter cases with a value of $22 billion, the institute said.
“The United States is the largest wine market in the world with 19 consecutive years of volume growth,” said Robert Koch, president of the Wine Institute.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).