(SouthAfrica) - Following a few very tough years, the South African wine industry is optimistic on the back of record export levels, good prospects for this year's harvest, the penetration of new markets, and growing praise from high-profile wine critics, says Wines of South Africa CEO Su Birch. South African wine exports for 2012 reached 417-million litres, 10-million litres more than the previous record of 407-million litres achieved in 2008 and a 17% increase on volumes in 2011, Birch said on Monday. "The record levels are the result of a more favourable currency, as well as the global shortage of wines, stemming from a significant drop in the recent harvests of competitor wine-producing nations in Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand," Birch said in a statement.