The economic troubles of the past year had many consumers looking to escape with a glass of wine. But they wanted to imbibe on a budget. Wine makers and importers who gathered recently for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival said that while the volume of bottles sold remained relatively constant in 2009, the average price per bottle declined. "It's the mix that has changed," said Mel Dick, president of the wine division at Southern Wine & Spirits, the festival's sponsor. "People were definitely trading down at all levels to more of a comfort zone. There was great success at the lower prices and much less success for the higher-priced wines." In 2009, sales of wines priced at $25 and above dropped 30 percent nationwide, according to Nielsen. While global wine sales increased, California wine shipments fell for the first time in 16 years.