The 6 Surprising Places Launching America Ahead of France in Wine Consumption

May 14, 2014— -- Wineries have been popping up all over the United States in the past 10 years, nearly doubling the size of the American wine industry and, for the first time, helping make the United States the world's largest wine market.

The U.S. beat out France in wine consumption for the first time in 2013, the International Vine and Wine organization OIV said Tuesday, according to Reuters.

More than 90 percent of American-made wines come from California, according to Michael Kaiser, spokesman for the industry group Wine America. And most consumers have seen a rise in the number of wines coming from Washington, Oregon, and New York, too.

But there are a slew of surprising states that have begun generating more and more interest in American-made wines. Better local products coupled with an increase in lower-priced high-quality wine has spurred the boom in sales, Kaiser said.

"Consumption trends go along with the amount of increase in wineries," he said. "A lot of the boost in consumption is from the millennial generation. They’re more willing to try new products."

"The local food movement has started to grow and the local wine has grown with it," Kaiser said. "Younger generations are into promoting and supporting a local product and that's allowed wine to become one of the true growth industries over the past few years."

Here are the six surprising states that, Kaiser said, are the "big players" right now.

1. Virginia

2. Texas

3. Ohio

4. Michigan

5. North Carolina

6. Missouri

Runners Up: Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado