by Serenata Wines

Newly released figures have shown the export of American wine reached a record level during 2011, according to an article published by the Los Angeles Times.

The increase has been attributed to a generally weak dollar and the growing demand for American wines in Asia.

Shipments valuing around $1.23 billion were made during the first eleven months of the year - an increase of 23 per cent when compared to last years figures and a 9 per cent increase on the $1.1 billion registered for exports during the whole of 2010.

Released by the California Wine Institute, the statistics for the whole of 2011 are expected to be made available later this year.

The news is expected to be welcomed by wineries located in California - with statistics displaying that nine out of ten bottles of American wine sold abroad hail from the Golden State.

Commenting on the figures, Linsey Gallagher, the San Francisco Wine Institutes director of international marketing, said: "Its a great global story for California wine exports."

She added that a greater strategic focus had been placed on wine exports, stating: "In the past, we were accused of only focusing on export when we couldnt sell everything at home."

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