(PD) - The lead marketer for America’s largest winery said Tuesday that vintners should strive to democratize the wine marketplace rather than solely focusing on premium brands derived from North Coast vineyards.

Speaking at the Wine Vision conference at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek hotel, Stephanie Gallo, vice president of marketing for E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto, said the wine industry should focus on getting American consumers to drink more, with only 33 percent of wine drinkers imbibing on a regular basis.

Foreign wine drinkers consume much more than those in the U.S., where per capita consumption is 2.3 gallons annually, she said. In contrast, German per capita consumption is 6.3 gallons a year and the French 14 gallons.