Wine has been one of the most popular drinks since the dawn of time. It’s been tied to many rituals, religious or pagan, throughout history, and today it remains one of the most popular social drinks there are. How much do you really know about wine, though? These wine statistics and facts will teach you all the basics you need to know.
Let’s see what types of wine are there, what the industry looks like, and what the health benefits are!
Top 10 Wine Statistics and Facts:
- 60% of Americans enjoy an occasional glass of wine.
- Most Americans (44%) prefer keeping their wine bill between $11 and $20.
- Just because no expiration date exists doesn’t mean your wine can’t become corked.
- Drinking moderate amounts of wine reduces your risk of dementia, shows most research since 1977.
- Cardiovascular health can also be improved with red wine consumption.
- Italy was the worldwide leader in wine exports in 2019 with 21.6 million hectoliters sold.
- Between the years 2000 and 2019, South Africa produced the most wine in 2014 (1.181.086 gross liters).
- The Ukrainian wine production volume was highest in 2016 (1.2 million hectoliters) for the last five years.
- Italy boasts its first wine fountain in the region of Abruzzo.
- The most obvious sign of aging wine is the change in color.
General Wine Statistics and Facts
1. 60% of Americans enjoy an occasional glass of wine.
(YouGov)
34% say they drink wine once a month. Research also showed that those living in urban areas and Millennials are more likely to consume wine on a monthly basis (43% and 46% respectively).
2. 66% of Americans choose their wine based on the price.
(YouGov)
33% of Americans choose their wine according to the brand, making this the second most important factor for purchase. Wine facts concur that only 24% look at the alcohol percentage, while 20% decide based on the region the wine came from. The varietal and year of production share fifth place for importance, with only 17% considering them important.
3. Most Americans (44%) prefer keeping their wine bill between $11 and $20.
(YouGov)
Some Americans look for even cheaper wine, with 23% saying they don’t aim to spend more than $10. The same wine stats show that only 23% said they generally look for wines over $20.
4. The main reason for these spending habits is that 57% of Americans are not very sure they would be able to tell the difference between cheap and expensive wine.
(YouGov)
Gen X is the least confident in their ability to distinguish between cheap and expensive wines (62%). Second in place are Boomers with 60%, making Millennials the most confident generation with only 49% doubting their sommelier abilities.
5. Wine Facts For Dummies: Anyone can learn the formula for wine tasting.
(Wine Enthusiast)
Wine is first evaluated by sight, then by smell. Sommeliers also make sure the conditions for tasting wine are suitable, which is why most wine tasting events aren’t loud and full of people. This makes it easier to concentrate and notices the nuances in what you’re tasting.
6. Just because no expiration date exists doesn’t mean your wine can’t become corked.
(The Kitchn)
If you’ve had a bottle of wine at home for a while, you may think it’s fine to drink since wine doesn’t have an expiration date. However, corks can contain chlorides which are typically found in bleach. Before consuming your wine, always make sure it doesn’t smell like wet cardboard. If it doesn’t, it hasn’t been tainted.
What are the health benefits of wine?
7. Drinking moderate amounts of wine reduces your risk of dementia, shows most research since 1977.
(Medical News Today)
Dementia can often lead to Alzheimer’s and your risk is reduced thanks to a compound called resveratrol. It helps keep blood vessels open and flexible as resveratrol is a natural antioxidant.
However, don’t take this as a green light to drink three or more glasses of wine daily as that will only increase your chances of developing cognitive impairment.
8. Red wine health benefits include improved stomach health.
(NCBI)
Polyphenols help create more good bacteria in your stomach, and luckily for you, red wine and grapes are full of them. Not only do polyphenols increase the number of bacteria, but they also work well together to promote gut health.
9. Cardiovascular health can also be improved with red wine consumption.
(AHA Journals)
Here is where resveratrol comes into play again. Aside from helping your blood vessels, the compound has also been found to lower risks of stroke, hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction.
10. Regular wine consumption can lower your risk of incident depression.
(NCBI 2)
Moderation is key for lowering your risk of depression as much as it is for lowering your risk of other cognitive impairment. If you want to drink wine preventatively, don’t have more than two to seven glasses a week.
Global Wine Industry Statistics
11. Italy was the worldwide leader in wine exports in 2019 with 21.6 million hectoliters sold.
(Statista 2)
Spain was in second with 21.3 and France was in third place with 21.3 million hectoliters sold. The US was lower on the list, only exporting 3.6 million hectoliters. New Zealand, though, had the lowest export rate with only 2.6 million hectoliters.
12. Between the years 2000 and 2019, South Africa produced the most wine in 2014 (1.181.086 gross liters).
(Statista 3)
In the same time period, wine production was lowest in 2001 (746.485). The years 2018 and 2019 are similar to each other, with 960.156 and 973.552 liters produced, respectively. This might be an indication of stability or growth of the industry, judging by the rest of the production pattern in the 19-year time period.
13. The US produced 888.58 million gallons of wine in total in 2017. 716.3 million of that was produced in California.
(Wine Institute)
California wine statistics that this state has been the main producer of wine in the US since as far back as 1995 (around 397 million gallons out of around 437 million in total for that year). This might be most noticeable in 2010, when California produced approximately 606 millions of gallons of wine out of the total 677 million produced.
14. The export value of Italian sparkling wines was the highest in the US between January and July 2020 (193 million euros).
(Statista 4)
Wine sales statistics put UK’s export value in second place with a value of 155 million euros. A value of 56 million euros puts Germany in third place. In France, the export value for the same sparkling wines equaled to 43 million, while that number was lowest in Russia, amounting only to 18 million euros.
15. The Ukrainian wine production volume was highest in 2016 (1.2 million hectoliters) for the last five years.
(Statista 5)
2016 notes the only spike from the year prior (0.9 million hectoliters in 2015) in production volume for the last five years. The same wine industry statistics show that years 2017 to 2020 share the production volume of 1 million hectoliters. It should be noted, though, that the data for 2020 is only preliminary.
16. France was the leading importing country for wine in the UK in 2019, with the import value reaching £754.2 million.
(Statista 6)
This was remarkable because French wines managed to surpass the Italian wine import value from the previous year (£700 million). The value of Italian imports in 2019 was also lower than the same value for the previous year- £684.8 million.
17. Wine Tourism Statistics: Argentina opened a total of 245 wineries for wine tourism in 2017.
(Statista 7)
Most of the wineries were opened in the Central-West region (165). The North-West region numbered 44 new wine tourism wineries, while the New Wine Regions saw 36 new wineries.
18. The volume sales of the domestic wine market of white wine equaled to 4.426 liters in British Columbia.
(Statista 8)
The volume sales of red wine for the same period (fourth quarter of 2019/20) weren’t too high behind with 4.369.54 liters. The same data shows that Canadians definitely don’t prefer local Rose as much as white and red wine, as only 302.32 liters were sold in the same period.
Wine Fun Facts
19. Italy boasts its first wine fountain in the region of Abruzzo.
(Wine Traveler)
This wine fountain was built by the Dora Sarchese Vineyard. Abruzzo is a beautiful region on its own, but now it will appear more to tourists and locals alike as they’ll be able to pour wine for free 24/7.
20. The most obvious sign of aging wine is the change in color.
(Iowa State University)
White wine becomes golden in color as it ages, but it can turn brown if it’s left to age for too long. Red wine starts out with violet and purple tints which change to brick red and orange as it ages.
21. One of the lesser-known wine facts is that the fear of wine exists; it’s called Oenophobia.
(Let in Wine)
Even though you’ve probably never met someone who has it, this phobia is very much real. People who have it can become irrationally scared when they see wine bottles, spilled wine, or if they come in contact with wine in any way.
22. Ever wonder why it’s called “toasting”? Charred toast was regularly dunked into wine in ancient Rome.
(National Geographic)
Toasting during meals started to celebrate the health of Emperor Augusts in ancient Rome. We’ve upheld the tradition by toasting to someone’s health, but we don’t routinely drop charred toast in our wine anymore. Aside from routine, this was also often done to make the wine taste better.
FAQ
Why does wine not have nutrition facts?
Though you’d expect to find nutritional facts on a wine bottle, much like on any other food or drink, you won’t because of historical reasons. The end of the prohibition made many alcoholic drinks, along with wine, fall under TTB’s jurisdiction instead of the FDA’s. The Tobacco Tax Bureau has never required nutrition labels, hence why you won’t see them on wine.
(RealClear Science)
Who buys the most wine?
According to data from 2019, the US buys and consumes the most wine. In fact, Americans consumed 33 million hectoliters. Australians are on the opposite end of this list, with only a 5.9 hectoliter consumption for the same year.
(Statista 1)
Is the wine industry growing?
Despite the current state of the world with Covid, the wine industry is projected to grow by 2027. Right now, the global market has an estimated worth of $326.6 billion, and it’s projected to grow up to $434 billion.
How many types of wine are there?
The wine industry is big and there is a type of wine for every palette. The main types are white, rose, and red. Rose can be either fortified or sparkling, and it slides down the most easily during summer. The difference of taste between red and white wines is noticeable fairly easily, as white wines are citrusy and refreshing, while red wines have a more dark fruit flavor.
(Master Class)
How many grapes are in a bottle of wine?
One vine of grapes produces approximately ten bottles of wine. For one bottle, you will need between 400 and 500 of grapes.
(McEvoy Ranch)
What is the most popular type of wine?
When it comes to the American population, red wine is definitely the most popular as 69% of people prefer it. White wine is a close second on the American list of favorites with 65% choosing it as their drink of choice. Only 55% prefer Rose.
(YouGov)
Conclusion
Hopefully, these wine statistics and facts have enlightened you a little. If you aim to be a sophisticated gentleman, you’ll benefit from this knowledge greatly. You’ll know exactly what bottle to choose and you’ll finally understand all the differences between the types, brands, and prices.
