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Article: Bad times good for California wines
- Article from:
- Oakland Tribune
- Article date:
- April 3, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2008 Oakland Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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As the economy sputters, American drinkers are moderating their
taste for fine wine -- but not by much.
And with a weak dollar making imports more expensive and
consumers hunting for lower prices, California's Central Valley wine
industry could be poised to benefit.
"In a recession, certainly value brands ... such as ourselves
seem to climb," said James Eichel, key accounts manager for Bogle
Vineyards in Clarksburg.
Figures released Tuesday by the Wine Institute, an industry
group, show U.S. wine purchases rose nearly 8 percent last year to
$30 billion, making the nation the world's largest wine market.
California wine sales grew somewhat more slowly -- 6.2 percent --
as imports ...