Wine in high demand, even wine produced in Tri-Cities region ...

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --

We talk a lot about the increasing cost of food, of fuel some of the essentials of life.

Also on the "it costs more these days list" wine, but that's not kept Americans from drinking the fruit of the vine at a record pace.

After holding steady for the past few years the average price for a bottle of wine is now more than ten dollars.

In 2011 Americans proved they will pay for wine as they drank almost 4 billion bottles--a new record.

From the vine to the shelf wine is in demand here and across the country, even wine produced in the Tri-Cities region.

Daniel Burgner is pruning his grape vines in preparation for next year's crop.

"Each year more wine is sold than the previous year,” said Burgner.

Burgner says that for the past few years that increase in demand for wine grapes has held at about 10 percent.

That's why he got out of the dairy and tobacco business.  He says an acre of wine grapes pays as much as an acre of tobacco did during its peak.

"When I am growing wine grapes ... I take the grapes out of the field and take them to the winery and I am through with them for the year, said Burgner.  “When I get the tobacco out of the field I was just half done."

In 2010, the US became the world's leading producer of wine.  East Tennessee, the state of Virginia, and western North Carolina are now growing and selling more wine than ever.

But why the increase?

"Wineries are realizing that people aren't all wine snobs ... they want things that they actually enjoy,” said Bowman.

While all wine is selling at a record pace, local wines are becoming a favorite among wine buyers.

"We do really well with some of the North Carolina wines ... for example Biltmore, Duplin and then Tennessee valley some of those they do exceptionally well too,” said Bowman.  “Once again ... really approachable, fun to drink, fun labels and taste really good."

I spoke with Corey-Ippolito Winery in Blountville today.  They said their sales of wine increased by more than 30 percent last year.

Both Burgner and Corey told me that Tennessee’s wine industry could grow by leaps and bounds if the state legislature would allow Tennessee wineries to operate under the same rules that wineries in Virginia and North Carolina now.