Wine consumption shows signs of increasing around the world
France, it seems, will always be the barometer against which the world measures their wine drinking habits.
Tuesday's report that the US outdrank France to become the largest wine-consuming nation in the world last year, is the second time in recent months that a country has announced -- with a bit of bluster -- that it surpassed France.
The report by wine industry consultants Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates for the Californa-based Wine Institute showed that the US shipped nearly 330 million cases of wine last year, compared to France's 321 million cases, while a January report out of International Wine and Spirits Research in London also showed that the UK spends more on wine than the French.
Last year, Brits emptied 1.7 billion bottles, spending $14 billion US (€10 billion) on wine. Between 2005 and 2009, total sales for still light wines in the UK increased by five percent. The study forecasts a further 1.1 percent growth in sales for wine in the UK between 2010 and 2014.
Per capita consumption of wine, however, is still higher in France. According to forecasts made by the International Wine and Spirit Research firm in London, the French drank 58 liters of wine per capita in 2010. Brits were forecast to have tipped back 29 liters per person in the same year, while Americans imbibed 13 liters per capita.
Meanwhile, wine consumption is also fast rising in Asia. According to a report from Vinexpo, an international industry trade show, demand for wine in China is exploding, with consumption growing 392 percent between 2005 and 2009. Further growth is excepted to rise another 56 percent between 2010 and 2014.
Hong Kongers, however, drink more wine per capita than any other Asian country and the city has been described as "the most mature wine market" in Asia. Per capita wine consumption there was 4.5 liters in 2009, nearly double the wine consumption of the Japanese at 2.4 liters. In Singapore, per capita wine consumption was 2.1 liters.
Hong Kong has likewise experienced cork-popping growth in wine consumption over the last decade: in 2009, residents drank 35 million bottles, an increase of 106 percent compared to 2005.
