World wine in 2020

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December 19, 2022

World wine consumption was 236 million hectoliters in 2021, down from the 260 million hectoliters consumed in 2019. One hectoliter is 26.4 gallons, making global wine consumption about 6.2 billion gallons or 1.1 gallons per year for each of the 5.5 billion people 18 and older.

World wine consumption is 1.1 gallon or 5 bottles a year for each person 18 and older

The US consumed the most wine, 33 million hectoliters. EU countries consumed 114 million hectoliters, half of global wine consumption but down sharply from the EU’s 60 percent share of global wine consumption in 2000. France consumed 25 million hectoliters of wine, Italy 24 million, and Germany 20 million. The UK consumed 13 million hectoliters of wine, and the top five consuming countries accounted for almost half of the world’s wine consumption.

Other major European wine consumers include Russia, 10 million hectoliters consumed in 2021, Spain, 10 million, Portugal, five million, and Romania and the Netherlands, four million each. China consumed 10 million hectoliters of wine and Japan three million. In the southern hemisphere, Argentina consumed eight million hectoliters, Australia, six million, and Brazil and South Africa, four million hectoliters each.

The US consumes 14% and the EU 50% of the world’s wine

Production. World wine production was 260 million hectoliters or 6.9 billion gallons in 2021 from about 7.3 million hectares of vineyard; production was 10 percent more than consumption.

World wine production is 260 million hectoliters or 6.2 billion gallons a year

Spain has almost a million hectares of vineyard, the most of any country, followed by France, 800,000 hectares, and Italy, 700,000 hectares. China and Turkey have large vineyard areas, but many of their grapes are devoted to table grapes and raisins.

Spain has 1/7 of the world’s 7.3 million hectares of vineyard

About 70 percent of the world’s wine is produced in Europe, including 154 million hectoliters or 54 percent in the EU. Italy produced 50 million hectoliters of wine in 2021, France, 38 million, and Spain, 35 million; these three countries accounted for almost half of global wine production. Germany produced almost eight million hectoliters and Portugal seven million. Production in 2022 was similar: Italy produced 50 million hectoliters, France 44 million, Spain 33 million, Germany nine million, and Portugal, seven million.

Italy has been the leading wine producer since 2017, France’s wine production has been variable, while Spanish wine production is declining.

France, Italy, and Spain produce almost half of the world’s wine

Major new world wine producers include the US, which produced 23 million hectoliters of wine in 2022. The leading southern hemisphere wine producers are Chile, which produced 12 million hectoliters in 2022, Australia, 12 million, Argentina, 11 million, and South Africa, 10 million.

Chile, Australia, Argentina, SA, and NZ are the major southern hemisphere wine producers

Trade. Some 112 million hectoliters of wine worth E34 billion ($36 billion), over 40 percent of global production, is traded over borders. Spain was the largest exporter of wine by volume, exporting 23 million hectoliters or a fifth of global wine exports, and France was the leading exporter by value, exporting E11 billion worth of wine or 30 percent of the global total.

Italy was the second leading exporter by volume, exporting 22 million hectoliters in 2021, while France exported 15 million hectoliters. Chile exported nine million hectoliters of wine in 2021, Australia six million, South Africa five million, and New Zealand three million; the US also exported three million hectoliters in 2021.

The southern hemisphere wine export champions are Australia, Chile, South Africa, and NZ. They collectively have one percent of the world’s people, produce 15 percent of the world’s wine, and account for 20 percent of global wine exports.

Spain, Italy, and France account for over half of global wine exports

Australia was the sixth largest producer and fifth largest exporter of wine in 2021, just behind Chile. Over 60 percent of Australian-produced wine is exported, and over half of Australia’s wine exports went to China in 2019. In 2018, Australia banned China’s Huawei from its 5G network, and in 2020 then PM Scott Morrison called for independent inquiry into the origins of covid. China reacted by imposing tariffs on Australian farm exports including wine, reducing Australian wine exports to China by 95 percent in 2021.

Higher priced wines that cross borders are often bottled and shipped in cases; a 20-foot shipping container holds 800 cases on 10 pallets. A case of wine is nine liters, so one container has 7,200 liters of bottled wine. A third of the wine that crosses national borders is bulk wine, which is usually transported in bladders that fit inside 20-foot containers and hold 24,000 liters; the wine is sometimes blended at the destination before bottling. Over half of the wine exported from Australia and Spain is shipped in bulk containers.

Germany, the US, and the UK each imported 14 million hectoliters of wine in 2021. Over half of German wine imports arrived in bulk, compared with a third of US and UK wine imports. France imported six million hectoliters, including three-fourths bulk, followed by the Netherlands, five million hectoliters.

Germany, the US, and UK accounted for almost 40% of global wine imports

Sparkling. Sparkling wines release bubbles when uncorked as CO2 is released. The production of sparkling wine has been increasing, topping 20 million hectoliters in 2018, almost double the 2000 production levels.

Italy produces five million hectoliters or a quarter of the world’s sparkling wines, mostly Prosecco, which uses the Charmat process that adds yeast and sugar in a closed tank to create CO2. France produced four million hectoliters or 22 percent, including over 60 percent Champagne, with the other 40 percent crémant; both Champagne and crémant grapes must be hand-picked with the yeast and sugar added in the bottle.

Germany produced 14 percent of the world’s sparkling wines or Sekt, using both German and imported grapes, and Spain 11 percent, mostly Cava that adds yeast and sugar in the bottle.

France and Italy each produced about a quarter of the world’s sparkling wine in 2018

Italy’s production of sparkling wine almost tripled between 2008 and 2018

More people are drinking sparkling wine, and not just during end-of-year celebrations. Three countries drink almost half of all sparkling wine, Germany, France, and the US, and the top five countries account for 60 percent of sparkling wine consumption.

Germany, France, and the US consume almost half of all sparkling wine

Sparkling wine consumption is rising in the US and UK

Italy is the leading exporter of sparkling wine by volume, and France is the leading exporter of sparkling wine by value. Italy, France, and Spain account for 85 percent of global sparkling wine exports, but only 55 percent of still wine exports.

⅔ of Italian sparkling wine exports go to the UK and US; most French and Spanish sparkling wines are exported to other countries

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