(ShankenNewsDaily) - France’s Chablis region saw its wine exports to the U.S. drop significantly in the worst years of the economic downturn, but by the end of 2012 it had regained that lost volume and more, eclipsing its pre-recession high-water mark in U.S. sales.

In 2007, Chablis exported a then record-high 1.5 million bottles (around 125,000 cases) to the U.S. market, but just two years later—as the recession’s effects on fine dining and luxury purchasing in general took their toll—its presence had slipped to 900,000 bottles. Since 2009’s low point, however, Chablis has nearly doubled in size in the U.S. In 2012, it reached nearly 1.6 million bottles on annual growth of 14%.

“Prior to the crisis, importers in the U.S. would reserve 3,000 or 4,000 cases at a time,” says Christian Moreau, whose namesake brand is handled by Frederick Wildman & Sons. “Since then they’ve kept much less inventory on hand, requesting 200 cases here and there. That was a big adjustment. But consumer demand is now back. The restaurants are full again.”