U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for March 21

WASHINGTON, March 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

SUNDAY, MARCH 21: AMERICAN WINES

Profile America -- Sunday, March 21st. Today marks the 100th birthday of one of the major figures of the American wine industry -- Julio Gallo. With his brother Ernest, he started making wine after Prohibition ended -- in a rented California warehouse, with equipment bought on credit. Over the years, the brothers' winery became the largest in the U.S., and their creative marketing techniques helped shape the nation's drinking tastes. Now, Americans buy just over 750 million gallons of wine annually, worth $18.5 billion. California vintners produce about two-thirds of the wine sold in the U.S. Americans consume an average of 2½ gallons of wine annually. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, counting down to census day April 1st.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 185

Wine Institute

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 210

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau