California Wine Sales Reach New Record

California wine shipments to the U.S. reached an estimated retail value of $34.1 billion in 2016, up 4.6%, according to the Wine Institute.  The state shipped an all-time high of 238 million cases in the U.S. in 2016, up 2% from the previous year.

California wine sales to all markets, including shipments to the U.S. and exports, also set a record of 285 million cases in 2016. In a news release, the Wine Institute says California wines in the U.S. market have increased from 191 million cases shipped in 2006 to the 238 million cases in 2016, noting the growth trend is driven by population increases, and that baby boomers are being joined by millennials as frequent wine consumers.

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