Wine
U.S. Wine Market Drives
Growth in Global Consumption
W
ith global consumption
of wine on the rise, the
U.S. is driving growth as
the world’s largest wine
market. This is among
the key findings of an IWSR survey
commissioned by Vinexpo, the
world’s leading show for wine and
spirits professionals. IWSR is an
authoritative source of analysis on
the alcoholic beverage market, and
its annual study for Vinexpo is
unique in its inclusion of a five-year
forecast of global market changes.
Consuming 312.5 million cases in
2013, the U.S. was the only market
among the top 10 wine-drinking
countries to show growth over the
previous year. While the increase
was lower than in preceding years,
totaling five million more cases, its
overall value was sustained by a
shift in demand towards the higher
end of the market.
Between 2009 and 2013, global wine
consumption increased by 2.7% to
reach a total of 2.648 billion
nine-liter cases, the equivalent to
more than 31.7 billion bottles. IWSR
predicts that growth will accelerate
by another 1% between 2014 and
2018 to reach 2.732 billion nineliter cases (32.78 billion bottles).
A few key highlights
from the study:
• As Champagne consumption dips,
other sparkling wines drive growth:
In 2013, sparkling wines (excluding
champagne) accounted for 8% of the
world’s wine consumption – a figure
that is expected to rise to 8.9% by
2018. Between 2009 and 2013, U.S.
consumption of sparkling wines grew
by 23%, and this should increase by
another 15% between 2014 and
2018. Cava sales, spurred by growth
in imports to Belgium, Nigeria and
France, escalated by more than
100,000 cases in 2013. Prosecco
exports doubled; in the U.K. alone,
sales increased by more than one
million cases.
Meanwhile, Champagne consumption
fell by 1.4% globally in 2013, due
primarily to shrinking demand
in France, the U.K. and the U.S.
Sales are rising, however, in several
key countries, including Australia
and Japan.
• Red wine continues to dominate:
Red wine represented 54.8% of all
still wine consumed in 2013, even as
reduced demand, primarily in China,
drove worldwide consumption down
by 19.8 million cases.
• Rosé holds steady: Rosé is the wine
category least affected by the 2013
slump in demand, with 2013 global
sales at 219.1 million cases
compared to 219.7 in 2012. Sales are
thriving in the three primary rosé
consumer markets: France, the U.K.
and the U.S.
• Import sales are robust: More than
a quarter (29.5%) of all wine bottles
consumed in 2013 were imported -a total of 720 million cases.
Imported wines are expected to
grow by another 6.1% by 2018,
outpacing a predicted 3.5% increase
in overall wine sales. Italy and
Australia are the most important
suppliers of imported wines to the
U.S. market, with France in third
place but on the rise as maturing
American wine consumers are drawn
to what is widely seen
as the home of fine wine.
• Spirits are rising, with Asia-Pacific
the world’s top consumer: Global
spirits consumption reached 3.069
million nine-liter cases in 2013, an
increase of 19.1% from 2009. This
growth is expected to continue at a
3% rate, reaching 3.18 million cases
by 2018. Asia-Pacific accounts for
63% of the world’s total spirits
consumption.
• Whiskies and bourbons are back in
vogue: Whisky and bourbon sales are
projected to rise 8.8% and 19.3%
respectively over the next five years.
Russia, Brazil, Mexico, India and
Poland are driving this rise, adding
more than a million cases to their
total consumption between 2009
and 2013.
• Vodka consumption levels out:
Although vodka holds its position as
the leading “international” spirit
(the #1 spirit, Baiju, is consumed
mainly in China), demand is
stabilizing. The current 492.7 million
cases represent a rise of .5% since
2009, and IWSR research reveals
that the tax increase imposed in
Russia has significantly slowed
growth in that country, turning
young consumers to trendier
alcoholic beverages.
• Cognac and Armagnac find new
markets: Cognac and Armagnac sales
rocketed by 19% between 2009 and
2012, with demand flourishing in
Asian markets. While 2013 growth in
the region has been curtailed by the
Chinese government’s anticorruption legislation, five-year
forecasts remain positive (+3.5%).
Healthy sales are particularly
expected in America, the biggest
market for cognac exports.
accurate, and most detailed source
of information on the worldwide
alcoholic beverages market. The
high quality of the survey is proven
year after year, as comparison of
projected and actual consumption
figures display a consistently low
margin of error of 2%. The latest
report is the most accurate yet,
thanks to additional sub-sectors
not previously covered in IWSR’s
field work and analysis.
About the Vinexpo/
IWSR Survey
Founded in 1981, Vinexpo has
evolved into the world’s leading
show for wine and spirits
professionals and a partner for the
wine and spirits industry worldwide.
Vinexpo is held in Bordeaux in
odd-numbered years; since 2006,
Vinexpo Asia-Pacific has taken place
in Hong Kong in even-numbered years
and has become the key exhibition
of the industry in Asia. Before each
exhibition, Vinexpo commissions
studies on industry-specific issues
and presents the findings in
conferences around the world.
Since 1999, it has produced a
world market study with a five-year
outlook, as well as a variety of trend
reports. For more information, visit
www.vinexpo.com.
For the 13th year running, f