Wine sales 'turn a corner'
For the first time, the U.S. has surpassed France in wine consumption. (UPI Photo/Eco Clement)
SAN FRANCISCO, June 1 (UPI) -- U.S. consumers poured more wine than was poured in France for the first time in 2010, a trade group said.
Is it time to raise a toast -- in English, that is? The Wine Institute said the wine industry found U.S. sales up 7 percent by volume in 2010 compared with 2009, with retail receipts up 1 percent to $18.5 billion, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
More U.S. consumers also bought pricier wines, with sales of bottles priced between $7 and $14 up 5 percent in 2010.
Exports also rose, climbing 26 percent over 2009 to $1.14 billion last year.
For some in the industry, it is too early to throw a party, but after sluggish sales through the recession, "People are feeling a bit more confident about the economy and are going back to what they know," said Tom Klein, a vintner at Rodney Strong Vineyards and chairman of the Wine Institute.
"The wine industry, is it easy right now? No. But I think the industry has turned a bit of the corner," he said.