Italian wine exports to the United States in 2006 broke the one-billion-dollar threshold in value for the first time ever, according to the Italian Wine and Food Institute (IWFI).
Italian wine exports to the US last year also set a record for volume, surpassing the two million hectoliters mark, the IWFI added.
Based on data from the IWFI, Italy last year exported a total of 2,122,985 hectoliters of wine to the US, a 6.9% increase over 2005, while the value of these exports was one billion dollars, representing a 7.8% jump over the previous year.
Italy is the biggest wine exporter to the United States for both volume and value and last year Italian wines represented more than 30% of wine imported there.
Last year saw a coup for the exports to the US of Italian sparkling wines, spumante and prosecco, which leapt 12% and broke the threshold of 100 million bottles for the first time ever.
Total US imports of wine in 2006 amounted to 6,928,101 hectoliters, an increase of 8.1% in volume, and $2,920,452,000, up 9.1%.
