U.S. Wine Exports Show Significant Gains in 2021

U.S. wine exports grew by 10.6% in value in 2021, resulting in $1.44 billion in total revenue according to data announced by Wine Institute. California wine represents 95% of all exported U.S. wine, and this jump in exports is the largest annual gain since 2013.

“While we continue to see some challenges in the international marketplace for U.S. wine exports, we’re encouraged that export data shows a trend toward countering the impact of the global pandemic, retaliatory tariffs, unfavorable exchange rates and other external circumstances,” said Honore Comfort, vice president of international marketing, Wine Institute. “We’re moving the needle for larger gains in the future with a goal to boost the Golden State’s wine exports by $2.5 billion over the next decade.”

Wine Institute compiles its report with information from Trade Data Monitor and the U.S. Department of Commerce, which showed the largest jump in exports since 2013 when U.S. wine exports grew by 16.2%.

“We are very pleased to see our exports return to growth after several challenging years and we are grateful for the Biden administration’s diligent work to address a number of trade irritants,” said Bobby Koch, Wine Institute President and CEO. “We urge the administration to continue working to expand market access for our wines through free trade agreements in key markets such as the United Kingdom.”

Turning to international markets, Canada, the largest export market for U.S. wines with 35.6% market share, was a significant driver of export growth, gaining 11.5% in value over the prior year. Eight of the 10 largest markets for U.S. wine exports saw value gains in 2021. While there were volume declines in various markets that drove an overall 9% drop, the value data is the key indicator of growth, given the wide price ranges of a bottle of wine. Declines in markets such as the United Kingdom and European Union were driven by shipping challenges sparked by global supply chain issues.

Wine Institute Export Program

For more than 35 years Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program has served as the key administrator of a market access program designed to open key and cost competitive markets for California wines. The program includes more than 185 wineries that export to 142 countries, and 13 global representative offices and trade directors conducting marketing and promotional programs in 25 countries across the globe.  Much of this work is made possible by U.S. Department of Agricultural export-assistance grants including the Market Access Program, Agricultural Trade Promotion program, Emerging Markets Program, and more.  These resources fund Wine Institute’s international offices, and the organization’s extensive range of promotion, education, and research initiatives.