(Wines&Vines) - Strong wine sales of $40 billion buoyed industry hiring in 2016, according to data from Wines Vines Analytics, putting wineries on a solid footing as 2017 begins.

Total sales of U.S. wines rose 5% for the year, as did off-premise sales, while direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipments rose 18% in sales, underpinning hiring activity that remained resilient despite seasonal fluctuations. Winejobs.com reported the annualized index figure for winery jobs rose 7% in 2016 compared to the previous year.