Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1), co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus, has announced Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA-50) as co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

“I am excited to have Duncan as the new co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus,” said Thompson. “In my time serving with Duncan in Congress, I’ve found him to be a dedicated and hard-working ally on many issues. He will be a strong advocate for our wine community and the jobs it supports.”

“Mike has been a tireless leader for the wine industry and he too recognizes its significant contributions to not just the California economy, but the entire U.S. economy,” said Hunter.  “My district is home to many wineries and growers, and many other businesses that support Southern California’s wine industry.  I’m looking forward to working with Mike to promote our common interests and the economic benefit of wine that is produced domestically.”

Hunter replaces outgoing chair and former Rep. Dan Lungren.

The Congressional Wine Caucus was founded in 1999 by Congressmen and winegrape growers Thompson and George Radanovich (R-Fresno) to protect the interests of the vibrant wine industry. Today, the Caucus brings together more than 150 Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.

Members of the Congressional Wine Caucus advocate on behalf of the wine industry which contributes an estimated $162 billion to the U.S. economy annually and provides the equivalent of 1.1 million full-time jobs.

In 2012, U.S. wine exports set a record of $1.43 billion in revenue with 90 percent coming from California.