U.S. wine exports hit record in 2010

Driven by California wineries, U.S. wine exports hit a record of $1.14 billion in revenue in 2010, the San Francisco-based Wine Institute said today.

Last year's revenue represented a 25.6 percent gain over 2009. California accounts for 90 percent of the nation's wine exports and is the fourth-largest wine producer in the world.

The institute also said that national wine volume shipments rose 1.9 percent last year to 425.5 million liters, or 47.3 million nine-liter cases.

"This positive news indicates that our goal of $2 billion in wine export revenues by 2020 is achievable," said Robert Koch, Wine Institute president and CEO.

Thirty-eight percent of last year's U.S. wine exports, by value, were shipped to the 27-member countries of the European Union, accounting for $435 million in revenue, up 14 percent from 2009.