One would assume that the countries that drink the most wine in the world would remain pretty enthusiastic about the beverage, but this year, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) recently released its 2024 State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report, sharing current data on wine trends, including a list of the top 10 countries that consume the most wine. According to the grim report, wine sales are on the decline. The U.S. is the No. 1 wine-consuming country on the planet, but its wine sales decreased for the third consecutive year in 2023. And beyond a brief bump during the pandemic in 2020, wine consumption in the U.S. has been on a steady downturn since 2014.
Many nations historically known for their affection for wine are also seeing a drop in consumption. One of the most drastic examples of this is France: Though wine has always been pointed to as an essential part of French culture, it’s seen a sharp decline over the past decade. Other countries facing a similar struggle in recent years include Italy, Germany, and Argentina.
Many hoped that increased wine consumption in China would help the industry progress as wine lost its footholds in many European countries, but it’s rapidly decreasing there as well. The SVB report mentioned that restrictions on displays of wealth in the country in the early 2010s kicked off a decade-long downward spiral in consumption that continues today.
Maybe the wine industry’s future lies with a country that’s still discovering its own grape-centric culture. “Maybe India will become the next hope?” the SVB report questions.
Despite the recent ups and downs, when it comes to keeping wine afloat, these are the countries pulling the most weight.
The top 10 wine-consuming countries in 2024, measured by millions of 9L cases:
Rank
Market
2022
Volume Change 2015 – 2023
1
United States
329.1
+5.1
2
France
281.1
-22.2
3
Italy
255.6
+17.8
4
Germany
215.6
-2.2
5
United Kingdom
142.2
0.0
6
Russia
120.0
+12.2
7
Spain
114.4
+5.5
8
China
97.8
-103.3
9
Argentina
92.2
-22.2
10
Portugal
66.7
+13.4
*Image retrieved from Евгений Вершинин via stock.adobe.com
The article The 10 Countries That Drink the Most Wine appeared first on VinePair.