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W i n e s & V i n e s M A R C H 2 0 1 4 17 S acramento, Calif.—The stage is set for the U.S. wine industry to enjoy a better year in 2014 than it did in the slow-growth year of 2013, according to a panel of industry analysts who addressed the Western Hemisphere's largest audience of winemakers and grape- growers Jan. 29 at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. During the annual "State of the Industry" session, they concluded that a healthy supply of U.S. wine is now in balance with steadily growing demand from American consumers. The session came on the first morning of the 20-year-old, three-day conference and trade show that reported total registration of 14,000 participants and 668 exhibitors. With tanks "brimming full" of high-qual- ity 2012 and 2013 vintage wine, U.S. winer- ies should expect healthy returns in 2014, according to industry analyst Jon Fredrik- son of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates. Not that wineries had a bad year in 2013. Fredrikson's volume growth estimate, based on 10-11 months of data, was 5.2% for domestic wines, totaling 237 million cases. He estimated California shipments grew by 3.6% to 216 million cases. The panel's moderator Francesca Schuler, chief marketing officer of the BevMo retail chain, remarked the wine market is becoming incredibly competitive. She said price-cutting is the No. 1 weapon in the wine trade. "Pretty soon it is going to commoditize the beverage, as it already has for soup and electronics, if we don't figure out a better way," she said. Nat DiBuduo, president of the Allied Grape Growers, said the wine and grape markets are balanced through 2017. "I don't think there's a problem," he said. "We're not saying stop planting." Based on reported acreage, permitted acre- age numbers from the state and estimates provided on new acreage by nurseries, DiBuduo said that 645,000 vineyard acres are planted in California with 90,000 non- bearing (newly planted) and 555,000 bear- ing. Just less than 30% of the new acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, for which wineries continue to have high demand. Fredrikson also named Bogle Vineyards of Clarksburg, Calif., as 2013 Winery of the Year. The family-owned winery passed 2 million cases in 201w3 and grew by 12% on the strength of over-delivering quality at its price point. —Wines & Vines staff Analysts: Wine Economy to Improve Good supply and growing demand well timed for U.S. wineries The original, BOTTLE-MATIC-II 3 YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED D ISPENSA-MATIC Label Dispensers Price subject to change without notice. 2/01/10 28220 Playmor Beach Rd, Rocky Mount, MO 65072 Call Toll Free: 1 (800) 325-7303 or (573) 392-7684 FAX:(573) 392-1757; E-mail: info@dispensamatic.com Web: http://www.bottle-labeler.com STOP Wasting Time Labeling by Hand! $1800 for Wines & Vines Readers! Front & Back! Label any cylindrical container fast and accurately from ½" to 8" diameter, @ Speeds of 1200 Pcs. per hour. NOT A CHEAP, IMPORTED KNOCK-OFF! 21 day trial MADE IN USA! Front and Back! GombERG, FREDRikSon & ASSoCiATES Area Produced 2012 2013e Case Change Percent Change California 208 216 7.5 3.6% Other States 28 33 4.8 17.1% Subtotal U.S. 237 249 12.4 5.2% Imported 124 121 -2.8 -2.3% Total Wine 360 370 9.5 2.7% Wine Shipments to U.S. Market Total wine volume rose 2.7% to 370 million cases. Numbers given in millions of cases. M A R C H N E W S