Wine Exports Up As Dollar Shrinks

California Farm Bureau Reports Record Sales

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Wine exports to Asia, Europe, and Canada are on the rise thanks in part to the shrinking dollar.

The California Farm Bureau said U.S. wine exports reached a record $951 million last year, with 95 percent of those exports coming from in-state.

About half of wine exports are shipped to Europe, but Canada has grown to the second biggest market, accounting for more than $200 million in sales.

Canadian tourist Kari Healey said local zinfandels are really popular, and that at one time, the only California wine you get in Canada was Gallo.

At Michael David Winery, the projected growth for sales next year is 25 percent, but the foreign market is put at 100 percent growth.

"Asia is going to be huge, everybody is talking about the Chinese market, the people there. India is another market starting to come on. As the economies expand and people become wealthier there, it's going to become a bigger market for wine," David Phillips from the winery said.

The entire U.S. wine industry has grown for 14 consecutive years, increasing 66 percent.