(LATimes) - U.S. wine exports hit record levels in 2011, helped by soaring demand from Asia and a weak dollar that made American wines more affordable. Shipments for the first 11 months of 2011 reached $1.23 billion, according to the California Wine Institute. That's up 23% from the same period in 2010, and it's a 9% increase over the $1.1 billion in exports tallied for all of 2010, even though December 2011 results have yet to be reported.