The Vineyard Hoppers

France ranks first among the top countries for wine lovers, with a composite score of 88.09. The country has the highest wine production, which contributes to its also having the highest wine consumption per capita at 53.7. With one of the highest vineyard surface areas at 792 thousand hectares, France secured its top spot in the list.

Italy ranks second with a composite score of 73.37. Italian vineyards, covering 719 thousand hectares, contribute to wine production, while Italians enjoy a strong 40.3 litres per capita annually. The price per mid-range bottle in Italy is $7.62.

Spain is the third country on the list for wine lovers, with a composite score of 67.65. Its high position is secured by its largest vineyard area, at 945 thousand hectares, supporting a wine production of 2,833 million litres. People drink an average of 29.3 litres of wine per person, enjoying bottles priced at $7.62.

With a composite score of 61.03, Germany is fourth, thanks to its wine imports of 1,357 million litres, which is the highest on the list. With its diverse preferences, the German market enjoys mid-range wines priced at $6.52 per bottle.

Portugal, with a composite score of 57.78, is the fifth country on the list for wine lovers. The country earned its position by having the second-highest per capita wine consumption, at 50.3 litres, with 752 million litres of wine produced from 182,000 hectares of vineyards. 

The United States is ranked sixth on the list of the top countries for wine lovers, scoring 54.06. Although it has the third-highest number of wine imports, the country has the lowest consumption rate at 13.9 litres per person and the highest price for a mid-range bottle at $15.

The United Kingdom comes in seventh place, with a composite score of 50.08. The country has the smallest vineyard area, at only 3,800 hectares, which explains why it has the second-highest wine import volume, totalling 1,233 million litres. The UK’s wine consumption per capita stands at 27.5 litres, with a higher mid-range bottle price of $12.05.

Argentina ranks seventh with a composite score of 46.79. It offers the most affordable mid-range wine at $4.00 per bottle. The country has 204 thousand hectares of vineyards, producing 881 million litres of wine. Argentina’s wine consumption is high, at 24.0 litres per capita.

Chile claims the ninth spot with a score of 43.80. The country offers a slightly higher mid-range wine price at $5.52 per bottle compared to Argentina. Chile’s vineyards span 172K hectares, supporting a wine production of 1,103 million litres. Although wine consumption per capita is lower at 21.8 litres, Chile effectively uses its vineyard space to produce quality wines.

China is rounding up the list of the top countries for wine lovers, with a composite score of 44.73. China’s wine production is relatively low at 317 million litres despite having a large vineyard area of 755,719 hectares.