(NBBJ) - Shipments of wine to the U.S. hit another record last year, but growth slowed considerably from 2011 as producers turned to imports in a big way to try to meet demand, according to experts at a major industry symposium in Sacramento this morning. Total shipments of wine to U.S. markets last year increased to the equivalent of 363 million 9-liter cases, up from 2011 by 2 percent, or 8.1 million cases, according to industry analyst Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg Fredrikson & Associates. He based his whole-year figures on 11 months of state and federal data. The total figure includes table wine, cider, sangria, sparkling wine and sake as well as imports of bulk and bottled wine.