The Great Millennial Recession was at least as hard on America's wine growers, makers, and sellers as on other businesses. But after two years of flattish sales, the wine industry seems to have regained its balance and momentum. Last year, Americans once again started drinking more vino, consuming more expensive vintages. For the first time, America out-drank France collectively (if not per capita) and U.S. wine exports fared even better. Here, a look at America's wine rebound, by the numbers:
7
Percentage rise in U.S. domestic wine sales from 2009 to 2010
17
Years of unbroken growth in U.S. wine consumption
$30 billion
Retail value of all the wine consumed in the U.S. last year
$18.5 billion
California's share of those sales
61
California's percentage share of the U.S. wine market, by volume
25.6
Percentage jump in U.S. wine exports last year, to a record $1.14 billion in revenue
90
California's percentage share of U.S. wine exports
38
Percentage share of U.S. wine exports headed to the European Union
$435 million
Revenue from the 27.6 million cases of U.S. wine shipped to the EU in 2010
$308 million
Revenue from U.S. wine shipped to Canada
$116 million
Revenue from U.S. wine shipped to Hong Kong
329.7 million
Cases of wine consumed in the U.S. in 2010
320.6 million
Cases of wine consumed in France in 2010
307 million
U.S. population
62.6 million
French population
2.6 gallons
Amount of wine Americans drink each year, per person
12.2 gallons
Amount of wine the French drink each year, per person
1.9
Projected percentage rise in U.S. wine and other alcohol sales at restaurants and bars in 2011
180+
Members of the House and Senate in the Congressional Wine Caucus
Sources: Los Angeles Times, Gawker, Washington Post, Wine Institute, USA Today
