BERKELEY -- Robust marketing and a weak dollar led to a sharp jump last year in U.S. wine sales abroad, industry observers said.
Preliminary figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department and reported Friday by the San Francisco-based Wine Institute (
www.wineinstitute.org) showed wine exports were up 28 percent from the previous year, totaling $794 million in winery revenues.
About 95 percent of wine exports are from California.
By volume, the increase was 29 percent, to 119 million gallons.
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The top overseas market for California wine was the United Kingdom. Export revenues to that country were up 41 percent, to $299 million, and volume was up 20 percent, to 38 million gallons.
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Other top overseas markets for U.S. wine in 2004 were Canada, at $124 million; the Netherlands, at $86 million; Japan at $82 million; and Germany at $27 million.