Wine consumption trends around the world

Growing wine culture in China, Russia, Australia and US A wide-sweeping study of international drinking trends around the world paints a broad picture of which countries are driving wine consumption growth , which countries are drinking less, and what the world is drinking as a whole. As the most powerful players in the wine industry converge in Bordeaux, France this week for the biggest trade show in the world, Vinexpo released its annual forecasting report of international consumption patterns.
The overall conclusion: between 2012 and 2016, world wine consumption is expected to increase by 5.3 percent over the five-year period. That means that by 2016, 34.5 billion bottles of wine would be consumed worldwide in a year.
Wines studied include still, light wines (defined as containing less than 15 percent alcohol) and sparkling wines.
The countries driving the worldwide growth are China, Russia, Australia and the US, where either a burgeoning middle class or growing wine culture are creating bigger demand.
At the other end of the spectrum, consumption suffered a steady decline across Europe in countries like Germany, the UK, France and Italy between 2007 and 2011, while consumption practically “collapsed” in Spain by nearly 20 percent, analysts say.
Meanwhile, sparkling wines are projected to outpace wine when it comes to growth, with consumption increasing 8.5 percent between 2012 and 2016 thanks to consumers in countries like Germany, France, Russia and the US, who are tipping the bubbly back in bigger numbers.
When it comes to wines, red is still king, accounting for more than half (55 percent) of all still, light wines consumed in 2011. That figure is also expected to grow by 9 percent between 2011 and 2016, mostly because of China’s unabated thirst for reds, in particular, Bordeaux.
White wine, on the other hand, is projected to increase a modest 2.8 percent, significantly less than rosé wine which is forecast to spike 7.6 percent to reach a total share of 9.2 percent of all wines drunk in the same period.
Sales of wines priced at $10 or more are also projected to soar by almost 30 percent between 2011 and 2016 in tandem with sales of cheaper $5 to $10 bottles, which are expected to grow by about 10 percent around the world.
And finally, France maintained its place as the world leader when it comes to the value of its wine exports, selling $9.9 billion worth of wine overseas in 2011, followed by Italy and Spain.
Vinexpo runs June 16-20 in Bordeaux, France.
Source: AFP