Key facts about wine’s global status

What is wine’s global status? How has the global wine market evolved in recent years? Below are key figures regarding wine’s status in terms of production and consumption, organic wine and 2020 trends around the world.

Noteworthy figures for world wine production

When it comes to global wine production, the following figures are significant:

● Europe accounts for 60% of global production, making it the world’s leading wine producer;

● The top three wine producing countries in the world are Italy (54.8 million hectolitres), Spain (44.4 million hectolitres) and France (49.1 million hectolitres);

● The United States only rank fourth in the global wine market, producing 23.9 million hectolitres in 2018;

● France accounts for 11% of the world’s vineyard acreage for wine (750,000 hectares).

France is often viewed as the home of wine, but in actual fact, it is not the world’s, or even Europe’s leading producer

Global wine consumption

When it comes to analysing key figures for the global wine market, consumption data also make very interesting reading. The following figures are among the most noteworthy:

● In 2019, global wine consumption remained unchanged at 33 billion equivalent bottles;

● 10 countries drink 70% of volumes produced worldwide;

● The top three export markets are the United States, the United Kingdom and China. They account for 50% of global revenue.

● France is the second largest wine consuming country in the world with more than 3.5 billion bottles consumed in 2019, placing it just after the United States and ahead of Italy.

However, growth in the wine market continues to slow, particularly since the global oversupply in 2018.

Is organic the future of wine? Global figures for organic wine

Wine consumers’ habits have changed and the preference for organic wine is one of those changes. Figures for organic wine around the world speak for themselves:

  • Global production of organic wine has grown by 20% annually for the last two years, compared to 4% in previous years;
  • Countries leading the way for organic winegrowing are Spain (26%), Italy (25%) and France (19%);
  • Countries that drink the most organic wines are Germany, followed by France and the United Kingdom. The United States only rank fourth;
  • The organic wine market in France generates revenue of 1 billion euros;
  • Vineyard acreage in the process of being converted to organic in France has increased by 63% since 2018.

However, the organic wine market currently represents only 3.7% of the overall wine market.

Global wine market: 2020 trends

Two major events marked the global wine market in 2020: the coronavirus pandemic and developments in the export market. Consequently:

● 1 billion litres of surplus wine produced in the European market are likely to end up in distilleries;

● Additional taxation of foreign wine in the Chinese and American markets could lead to a 14% drop in wine exports over the year.

The world wine market is undergoing a sea-change. Consumer tastes are changing in favour of lighter wines considered to be more palatable. Also, organic wine, which is part of a drive to “drink less but better”, seems to be performing well. Nevertheless, figures for the global wine market suggest that 2020 will mark a turning point for the wine industry.