California wine is wine made in the U.S. state of California. Almost three quarters the size of France, California accounts of nearly 90% of American wine production. Its wine production is one third larger than Australia’s. Today, there are more than 1,200 wineries in the state, ranging from small boutique wineries to large corporations with distribution around the globe.
California wine shipments have an estimated retail value of $40.2 billion in 2018. California wine sales to all markets, including shipments to the U.S. and export markets, were 285 million cases.
According to Nielsen-measured U.S. off-premise sales, top-selling varietals by volume share are: Chardonnay, 18.6%; Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.6%; Red Blends, 10.6%; Pinot Grigio/Gris, 9.7%; Merlot, 6.4%; Moscato/Muscat, 6.2%; Pinot Noir,5.2%; Sauvignon Blanc, 5.1%; White Zinfandel/Blush, 3.6%; and Rosé, 2.7%. Rosé continues to show phenomenal growth, with sales volume jumping 46% compared to 2017. Total shipments of sparkling wine and champagne to the U.S. reached 27.4 million cases in 2018. Up 4% from the previous year, sparkling wines/champagnes accounted for a 7% share of the U.S. wine market.
Wine shipments to the U.S. from all production sources—California, other states and foreign producers—grew 1% to 406.5 million cases in 2018, with an estimated retail value of $68.1 billion. The U.S. has remained the world’s largest wine market by volume since 2010 and the U.S. is now the third leading global wine producer. California’s 245 million cases shipped within the U.S. in 2018 represent a 61% share of the total U.S. wine market.
US wine exports, 95% from California, reached $1.46 billion in winery revenues in 2018. Volume shipments were 375 million litres or 41.7 million cases. The European Union’s 28-member countries were the top market for U.S. wine exports, accounting for $469 million; followed by Canada, $449 million; Hong Kong, $130 million; Japan, $93 million; China, $59 million; Mexico, $27 million; South Korea, $25 million; Nigeria, $15 million; Dominican Republic, $14.4 million, and Singapore, $14 million.
