U.S. wine exports soared 8.6 percent to a record $951 million last year, according to the Wine Institute, and 95 percent of those exports were shipped from California.

Sales were bolstered in part by a weak U.S. dollar and a trend toward bulk sales, and in part by a longer-term trend of growing acceptance of U.S. and California wines, Wine Institute officials said Friday.

Last year's jump is part of a longer trend, said Joseph Rollo, director of the San Francisco-based institute's international unit.

Over the last ten years, U.S. and California wine exports increased 77 percent in value, and were sent to 125 countries. Last year, volume shipments grew 12 percent, to 453 million liters, over 2006's 404.5 million liters, bolstered in part by a weak U.S. dollar, which improved the buying power of foreign consumers in many countries.

Overall, the value of U.S. wine exports has jumped from $537 million in 1998 to last year's $951 million; volume increased from 71.9 million gallons to 119.7 million gallons during the same time period.

Robert "Bobby" Koch, the institute's president, cautioned that remaining protectionist tariffs, distribution restrictions and production subsidies still create "an unlevel playing field" in some markets, but added that the 2006 signing of a Wine Trade Agreement between the U.S. and the European Union has helped to create "a more stable trading environment" for California vintners.

Still, overall American wine exports account for only about 5 percent of total global wine exports, Rollo told the San Francisco Business Times, "so we've got a long way to go."

The Wine Institute represents more than 1,000 California wineries; 125 of those wineries participate in its international program.

About half of U.S. wine exports go to nations in the European Union, accounting for $474 million of last year's total, the institute said. Canada received $234 million in shipments, followed by Japan, with $63 million, Switzerland, with $26 million, and Mexico, with $24 million.

Bulk wines, rather than bottled wines, are growing faster in Europe, as more producers ship bulk product abroad for bottling, which allows the brand owners to price wines more efficiently in a very competitive export market. Total bulk table wine exports jumped 22 percent by volume last year, to 169 million liters, and 25 percent by value, to $151 million.

Branded, bottled table wine exports, in comparison, increased 9.5 percent last year, to 207 million liters. In value, those exports increased just 3 percent, to $635 million.

Results in specific markets varied dramatically. Volume shipments to Europe grew by 7 percent, but sales value slumped 2.6 percent, due to the shift to lower-cost bulk wines. Exports to Canada from the United States jumped by 23 percent, largely due to more favorable exchange rates. Similarly, exports to South Korea jumped 60 percent, to $18 million; exports to China skyrocketed 74 percent, to $16 million, as its market opened somewhat; and exports to Singapore grew by 50 percent, to $9 million.

Sales to Japan fell 12.9 percent, from $72.5 million in 2006 to just $63.2 million last year, due to what Rollo said were "structural" issues involving Japanese importers.

New Mexico has more than 40 wineries throughout the state.