North Bay Business Journal

SACRAMENTO — Shipments of wine to the U.S. hit another record last year, but growth slowed considerably from 2011 as producers turned to imports in a big way to try to meet demand, according to experts at a major industry symposium in Sacramento.

The long-held place of France as the top market for wine in the world fell to the U.S. last year, according to data released today by wine industry consultants Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates.

WINDSOR — Alexander Valley Cellars is centralizing its wine warehousing while tripling the size of its direct-to-consumer business in an expansion move to one of Sonoma County’s largest distribution warehouses.

NORTH COAST – Barring a worsened U.S. economy, the sales environment for North Coast fine wines could brighten further in 2011 after showings early signs of improvement this year.

SACRAMENTO — Large scale importation of bulk and bottled wine helped boost total U.S. shipments by an estimated 2.1 percent last year, but wineries heavily impacted by shifting consumer demand may have to wait until 2011 for significant market improvement, an expert said at a major industry symposium here this morning.