The International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) recently released its wine statistics for 2023. Global wine consumption reached 3.33 billion liters, with the United States, France and Italy being the largest consumers. Of the top 10 wine consuming countries, nine are European countries, highlighting the deep-rooted wine culture of the Old World.

According to OIV data, among the 15 major countries surveyed in 2023, Portugal ranks first with a per capita consumption of 61.7 liters, followed by France with 45.8 liters and Italy with 42.1 liters. Although the United States has the highest overall consumption, it ranks 13th with just 12.1 liters per capita.

Although China is the world's leading wine market, per capita consumption is surprisingly low at 0.6 liters, ranking last among the 15 countries surveyed. This reflects an ongoing challenge: overall consumption is high, but true wine lovers are few and far between.

China, although a major global wine market, shows a strikingly low per capita consumption of just 0.6 liters, placing it last among the 15 surveyed countries. This reflects a persistent challenge: high overall consumption with few genuine wine enthusiasts.

Industry professionals remain hopeful about China’s wine market due to its untapped potential. However, OIV data reveals a discouraging trend, with per capita consumption falling from 0.63 liters in 2022 to 0.6 liters, a significant drop from 1.34 liters in 2016.

The reduction in China’s wine consumption is partly attributed to a decline in business-related consumption, which has not been compensated by growth in general consumer demand. Zhou Yuan, manager for Ranina in China, commented, “There is plenty of promotional content for wine, yet it largely misses the ordinary consumer. The number of Chinese genuinely interested in understanding wine remains small. Thus, the market needs substantial investment and branding to propel industry growth.”