Surging sales to Asia, an end to huge inventory depletions, a real increase in consumption levels and a gradual return to pre-recession status for traditional consumer markets all contributed to an extremely healthy 18.3 percent rise in exports of French wines and spirits last year. According to figures released on Monday by the country’s wine and spirits export federation FEVS, 9.09 billion euros worth of wines and spirits were exported in 2010. Net export values therefore rose by 21.5 percent to 7.9 billion euros, making wines and spirits France’s second-largest contributors to trade surplus, after the aviation industry.