U.S. wine consumption leans toward Italy

ROME, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Italian wine makers gained a larger percent of the U.S. market for imported wine in 2007, the Italian Wine and Food Institute reported Wednesday.

Italian wines gained ground in exports to the United States over second place Australia, which experienced a 3.5 percent decline in wine volume exported to the United States in 2007. The value of Australian wine exports to the United States increased 3.2 percent during 2007, however, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Italy exports more than twice the volume of wine to the United States as does France, which is third on the list.

In 2007, U.S. wine imports were valued at $3.75 billion, an increase of 12.1 percent, the institute said.

As Italian wine makers surge ahead of the pack, IWFI President Lucio Caputo called the Italians' achievement, "even more significant when one considers the fact that Italy, as opposed to Australia, was penalized by the euro rising on the dollar, which made Italian wines less competitive."