America's wine boom: By the numbers

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

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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