According to the trade show Vinexpo and International Wine and Spirit Research, the US is still the world’s top consumer of wine by value and volume. With the rise of the Chinese market it is easy to forget exactly where the real power lies in the wine world. Americans drank 3.7 billion bottles of wine last year while China and Hong Kong combined managed 1.9 billion. China replaces Britain as the fifth largest consumer of wine in the world and the US and China bookend the traditional European powerhouses: France, Italy and Germany.
The study predicts wine consumption in the US will continue to grow by about %10 in the next few years. The Chinese will certainly earn their reputation as the great coming power of the wine trade if the IWSR projections are accurate; that market is expected to see growth of over %50 in the years leading up to 2015.
In terms of production, the French lead the way in terms of value with exports to the tune of £5.45 billion. The Italians export the most wine by volume.