The U.S. surpassed France as the world’s largest
wine-consuming nation in 2010, with wine shipments to the U.S. from California,
other states and foreign producers growing 2% from the previous year to nearly
330 million cases, a record high for the industry.
Wine industry consultant Gomberg, Fredrikson &
Associates compiles the statistics.
The estimated retail value of these sales was $30 billion,
up 4% from 2009.
California wine accounted for a 61% volume share of the
total U.S. wine market, with sales at 199.6 million cases, up 1% from the
previous year. The retail value was $18.5 billion. California’s total wine
shipments worldwide to all markets in the U.S. and abroad were 241.8 million
cases, up 2% from the previous year.
“U.S. wine market conditions remain highly competitive, but
we are optimistic that this growth trend will continue,” said Robert P. (Bobby)
Koch, President and CEO of Wine Institute. “Americans are increasingly
interested in a lifestyle with wine and food, demonstrated by the presence of
wineries in all 50 states and 17 consecutive years of growth in U.S. wine
consumption.”
Added Jon Fredrikson of The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report: “Wine
consumption is still a low 2.6 gallons per capita, but the adult population is
growing every year as echo boomers come of age and adopt wine just as their
baby boomer parents did.”
