U.S. and China boost global wine consumption

World wine consumption is estimated to have risen about 0.7 per cent last year, bolstered by demand in the U.S. and China, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine, or OIV.

About 241.9 million hectolitres of wine was drunk in 2011, from 240.2 million hectolitres a year earlier, the Paris-based OIV wrote an emailed report. The range of estimated consumption is 237.4 million to 246.4 million hectolitres, the group said.

Per capita consumption in France, the world’s biggest wine market, rose for the first time in six years, according to OIV data, climbing to 47.4 litres from 46.1 litres.

In the U.S., the second-biggest market, the average American drank 9.1 litres of wine last year from 8.9 litres in 2010.

“It seems the worst is behind us and the global wine sector is again able to resume growth, although there won’t be immediate significantly positive results,” Federico Castellucci, OIV director general, said in the statement.

French intake in 2011 rose to an estimated 29.9 million hectolitres from 28.9 million hectolitres a year earlier, while sales in the U.S. rose to 28.5 million hectolitres from 27.6 million hectolitres.

China has become the biggest wine market by volume outside Europe and the U.S., with consumption jumping to 17 million hectolitres from 15.8 million hectolitres in 2010, the OIV said.

“Concerning China, consumption continues to progress, particularly considering the rapid development of imports without the emergence of significant exports from the country,” the wine organization wrote.

In Italy, the world’s third-largest wine market by volume, consumption fell to 23.1 million hectolitres from 24.6 million hectolitres, while wine sales in Germany were unchanged at 19.7 million hectolitres, the data show.

Global wine production was probably about 265.7 million hectolitres in 2011, within an estimated range of 262.1 million to 269.4 million hectolitres, and compared with output of 265.1 million hectolitres in 2010, the OIV said.

Production in France, the biggest vine grower, rose to an estimated 49.6 million hectolitres from 45.7 million hectolitres, overtaking Italy, where the wine harvest slumped to 41.6 million hectolitres from 48.5 million hectolitres, according to data from the wine group.

In the U.S., the largest grower of wine grapes outside the European Union, the volume produced fell to 18.7 million hectolitres from 20.9 million hectolitres, the OIV estimates.