Farm Beat: Wine exports – much of them from Modesto area – hit new high

American wine flowed to foreign consumers at a record rate last year, an industry group reported this week. Meanwhile, that big winery based in Modesto has added another Italian product.

Exports rose to $1.61 billion in 2015, up 7.6 percent from the previous year, the Wine Institute in San Francisco said. About 90 percent of that came from California, and producers in and near Stanislaus County were a big part of it.

“California wines appeal to consumers across the globe who recognize the unique quality and excellent value of our wines,” said Bobby Koch, president and chief executive officer of the Wine Institute, in a news release.

The growth rate for export volume, 4.1 percent, was lower than the dollar growth, meaning that the average price per bottle continues to rise. That reflects the recovery of Napa and other premium regions after the economic downturn of recent years and the improving quality of mass-market wines from the San Joaquin Valley.

The export volume last year was 51.2 million cases. Each is equal to 12 standard bottles, but much of the product is shipped in bulk by truck, rail and cargo ship. (At the rate we’re growing, we might as well start piping it.)

The European Union drank up $622 million worth of the exports, followed by Canada at $461 million, Hong Kong at $97 million, Japan at $96 million and China at $56 million. Nigeria, Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland and Singapore also were notable customers.

Other news from the grapevine:

E.&J. Gallo Winery of Modesto is now the exclusive U.S. distributor of Renato Ratti, a luxury brand from northwest Italy.

The Ratti portfolio includes several wines made from barbera and nebbolio grapes grown in the Piedmont region.

“The respectful, yet innovative, winemaking philosophy of Renato Ratti lives on today thanks to the passion and commitment of his son Pietro,” the company’s website says.

It sounds even better if you click for the Italian translation: “La sofisticata ed innovativa filosofia di vinificazione di Renato Ratti prosegue oggi grazie alla passione e all’impegno del figlio Pietro.”

Gallo already distributes Allegrini Estates wines from the Valpolicella region, Poggio al Tesoro from Tuscany and Pieropan from Veneto. They are part of the Luxury Wine Group at Gallo, which also produces wine in the San Joaquin Valley, coastal California, Washington state and several foreign countries.

Finally, a note about a wine-related item that costs all of 5 cents. The U.S. Postal Service has issued a stamp featuring the pinot noir variety of grape, a popular source for California wineries.

The stamps come in handy for adding postage to the basic 49-cent stamp. Collectors can order a first-day-of-issue postmark by visiting usps.com/shop or calling 800-782-6724.

A news release from the Postal Service notes that “pinot” is a variant of the French word for “pine” and refers to the tight grape clusters shaped like pine cones. “Noir” refers to the dark purple color.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Farm Beat: Wine exports – much of them from Modesto area – hit new high."