"Wine shipments to the U.S. market climbed by nearly 50 percent since 2001 and it is likely that American consumption will continue to expand over the next decade as wine continues to gain traction among American adult consumers,” wine industry consultant Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates said in an Institute press statement.

Fredrikson attributes the growth of wine sales, and the growing number of wine drinkers in the U.S., to several factors – including “favorable” demographics, a bigger consumer base and a rising number of distribution points.

Restaurant Sciences analyzed 30 million guest checks from January through October of this year, from full-service restaurants, bars, nightclubs and hotel bars. It also found Americans are paying more for wine – with average prices per glass ranging from around $5.50 at a family dining restaurants to nearly $14 per glass at hotel bars.

U.S. wine exports, meanwhile, are having some vintage times as well. The Wine Institute says those exports created $1.43 billion in winery revenues last year, up 2.5 percent compared to a year earlier.