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You don’t need to be a master sommelier to know that Europeans pride themselves on their passion for wine. Whether it’s paired with a pasta dish in Italy, sipped alongside a specialty cheese in France, or served with a delectable tapas spread in Spain, wine is commonly the finishing touch on almost every meal in the region. We’d even go so far as to say that it’s practically regarded as its own food group. Considering the fact that France, Italy, and Spain are indeed the top three wine-producing countries on Earth, that’s hardly a surprise.

However, you might be surprised to learn that when it comes to wine consumption, none of the above nations can hold a candle (or a bottle) to the United States. Yep, according to the 2024 State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the U.S. is consistently the world’s top wine-consuming country. As stated in the report, U.S. wine drinkers gulped down over 329 million cases of wine in 2022.

Per data from the International Organization of Wine and Vine (OIV), that equates to about 3.4 billion liters of vino. Compare that to the 2.53 billion liters of wine consumed by France, and the 2.3 billion liters drank by Italy that same year. Rounding out the top five wine-consuming populations were Germany and the United Kingdom — and, although Spain is the world’s third-biggest producer of wine, it actually trails behind Russia in terms of consumption.

Given that the United States does, indeed, have a higher population compared to other countries that appreciate wine, it is logical that it outdrinks them. Even though the consumer market in China certainly has the financial capability to compete with the U.S. in regards to buying and consumption potential, the most populated country globally has notably reduced its wine consumption over the past decade, dropping from 201.1 million cases in 2015 to 97.8 million in 2022.

As a matter of fact, the demand for wine is decreasing worldwide, including in the U.S. Wine sales in the U.S. have been on a consistent decline since the 2000s, with the industry reporting negative volume sales in 2021, 2022, and 2023. A key insight from SVB’s industry report is that “less U.S. consumers consider wine as their alcoholic beverage of choice” in recent times. The data indicates that some are choosing ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, stronger spirits, or opting out of alcohol in preference for cannabis.

Moreover, a large number of young adults in America have been completely abstaining from alcohol (and not only during Dry January). Based on a 2023 Gallup poll, Americans below the age of 35 are drinking less than in previous years. Although this could signify potential changes in future drinking data, for now, the United States remains the top wine consumer globally by a significant margin. We’d raise a glass to that.

Read the original article on Tasting Table