(ShankenNewsDaily) - California table wine continued its long-term upswing in the U.S. market in 2012, rising 3% to an estimated 204 million nine-liter cases, according to Impact Databank. Since 2002, consumption of California table wine in the U.S. has increased by more than a third. While pricing pressure continues to be a key factor at all levels of the market, wines above $20 continue to surge, driving much of the category’s progress. “The California wine business saw very strong growth in 2012,” says Roger Nabedian, senior vice president and general manager at E&J Gallo Winery. “The premium business in particular has been driving sales.”