Turns out it’s not just those sophisticated Frenchies that like wine:

Overall wine consumption in the United States rose 3.2 percent in 2007 to 292.1 million 9-liter cases, according the Beverage Information Group’s recently released 2008 Wine Handbook. This marks the fourteenth consecutive year of case gains, indicating positive long-term health and sustainability for the wine industry overall. Increased consumer spending on wine in both the on- and off-premise channels in 2007 mirrored the increase in consumption. Total wine retail dollars peaked at $27.9 billion last year.

“If wine continues to grow at these levels, the U.S. will surpass both Italy and France to become both the largest wine market and biggest wine importer in the world by the end of the decade,” says Eric Schmidt, manager of information services for the Beverage Information Group based in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Now pass the Chianti.

Source: The 2008 Wine Handbook

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