These 10 countries that export the most wine in the world account for 88 percent of global shipments. Last year, the value of wine export was €28.3 billion, which was a nine percent increase compared to a year ago. In terms of quantities, the export rose by approximately 1.9 million hectoliters.
Latest data from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine show that there has been continuing decline in the area under vine. In 2014, 7.573 kha were used for vine cultivation, some 300kha less than in 2013. The fall was driven by the reduction in European vineyards. At the same time, countries outside Europe, such as China, Chile, Argentina have increased the number of vineyards.
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Despite the global shrinkage in the area under vine, grape production has been on the rise due to higher yield and favorable weather conditions. Currently, China, which ranks as second by the area under vine, is a top grape producer with annual output of 111,015, followed by the US, France, Italy, and Spain. The increase in grape output has been followed by greater wine production. In 2015, quantities of produced beverage rose by 4,000khl compared to the previous year. Among the top producing countries, Italy, France, America, and Chile recorded growth while others made less wine.
Although European countries still dominate the list of top wine producers and exporters, in the last few years there has been a shift in wine production. Countries outside the Old Continent have recognized the economic benefits of winemaking, which do not only include revenue made from export but also profit generated from tourism. South American states, along with China started to invest more resources in making wine of greater quality which can become competitive globally. In a short period, they have become important players in the international market. At the same time, Europe, faced with wine over-production, introduced policy whose aim was to slow down wine production. Moreover, with increased health awareness about alcohol harmful effects wine consumption among Europeans has dropped significantly. For instance, five years ago French drank 28.3 million hectoliters of wine yearly, while last year the annual consumption was 27.2 million hl. For these reasons European wine production fell in the last 15 years. In the 2000s, Europe produced 73 percent of global wine while in 2014 the beverage from the Old Continent accounted for 60 percent of global quantities. The negative trend is expected to continue in the future, and 2020 is marked as the year when Europe won’t be the greatest wine producer for the first time.
In order to find out which 10 countries export the most wine in the world, we used International Wine Central data. The quantities presented below represent the organization’s estimates for 2015. As said before, largest wine exporters are located in Europe, which is also the case with these 10 countries that export the most wheat in the world.
Now, let’s finally see countries that rule the wine producing world!
10. Argentina
Export: 2,700,000hl
Wine production in South America dates back to mid-16th century, when first European settlers came to the continent bringing with them wine. For a long time, Argentina solely focused on producing wine for the domestic market. The change came in the 1990s, when the country started to invest in producing wine of better quality which could become competitive on the international market. With 2,700hl of exported wine, Argentina is the tenth largest exporter of the commodity. The 2015 export represents a slight increase compared to the previous year, but it is still some 900hl less compared to record from 2012.
9. Portugal
Export: 2,800,000hl
Not only that Portugal has a long history of wine production, but it is also one of the first countries which started to sell the commodity outside its borders. The country shipped wine to Roman Empire, while the modern trade began in the early 18th century. The first country that bought Portuguese wine was England, and it has remained one of the main importers of wine from Portugal. In the last five years, the value of Portuguese wine exported to the UK increased by 19 percent. According to the latest data, United Kingdom is the fifth largest importer of the commodity while other main export destinations are Angola, the US, Germany, and France.
8. Germany
Export: 3,600,000hl
Although beer is the beverage most commonly associated with Germany, the country also finds its place among the top wine exporters, producers, and consumers. Compared to previously mentioned Portugal, Germany produces less quantities of the beverage, but exports and consumes more. One of the distinctive features of wine production in Germany is that many winemakers rely on organic farming. In addition, in some parts, farmers cultivate vine without the use of mechanization because the vineyards are located on steep hills where machinery cannot be used. All this has positive effects on wine quality. The most widely known variety is Riesling, which together with Müller-Thurgau, account for 43 percent of vineyards.
7. The United States
Export: 4,200,000hl
The United States is the fourth largest wine producer. In 2015, 22,140hl of the beverage was made. The greatest share, some 90 percent, came from California, which is also the state with greatest numbers of wineries (3,782). Like other non-European countries on this list America has recorded a continuing increase in export in the last few years. According to the latest data from Wine America, the value of export raised by 16 percent between 2013 and 2014 while top importers were European Union, Canada, China, Japan, and Mexico. Besides finding its place among the world’s top producers and exporters, America is also leading wine drinker with a yearly consumption of 31hl.
6. South Africa
Export: 4,200,000hl
Although South Africa exported the same wine quantities as America, the country ranked higher on this list because in 2014 it shipped more wine than the US. In the last ten years, South Africa’s wine export doubled, reaching more than 4,000hl last years. According to Wines of South Africa (WOSA), Italy is a leading importer of South African wine, followed by France and Spain. South Africa is the 12th largest wine producer and the area around Cape Town is the epicenter of winemaking. WOSA estimates that a little less than 100,000 ha is under vine, while the greatest share of the annual grape harvest, around 80 percent, is used for wine production. The industry employs some 300,000 people, and it is an important contributor to country’s overall export revenues.
5. Australia
Export: 7,400,000
Australia occupies the fifth place on our list of 10 countries that export the most wine. Last year Australia recorded the highest increase in wine export. The value of shipments rose by 7.8 percent, while exported quantities climbed 4.9 percent compared to the previous year. Australian wine was sold in 123 countries, among which 78 imported more beverage in 2015 than a year ago. In addition, five markets valued more than 100 million Australian dollars. The leading importers of wine from Australia are the US, UK, China, Canada, and Hong Cong while favorite labels on the international market are Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Although first two top importers of the beverage (the US, and the UK) bought less wine in 2015 than in 2014, there was not a drop in the export mainly because of great gains in China’s market.
4. Chile
Export: 8,800,000hl
Chile is one of the countries which did not only increase the area under vine, but also made a series of improvements in the production process which resulted in greater wine quality and greater competitiveness on the international market. In the last years, Chilean wine export quadrupled. In the 2000s, the country shipped 276 million litters whose worth was $585 million. In 2015, exported quantities were 848 million liters and its value was $1,9 billion. The leading importers of Chilean wine are the US, the UK, and Spain.
3. France
Export: 14,000,000hl
In terms of exported wine quantities, France ranks as the third in the world. In 2015, the country shipped 14,000hl which was a drop for the third straight year. Despite exporting less wine, the country ranks as first in terms of shipments worth. Last year, exports value reached €8.2 billion, which was 6.7 percent increased compared to the previous year. The factors which influenced the rise were weakened Euro, significant growth of export to China and increased Champagne sale. The leading importers of French wine in 2015 were the US, the UK, Germany, and China. The value of sold wine rose in all of these four countries except Germany, which imported 11.5 percent less beverage compared to 2014.
2. Italy
Export: 20,000,000hl
Winemaking has a long tradition in Italy, which dates back to 800 BC, the time when Greek colonizers introduced viniculture to Sicily. Last year the country produced the greatest wine quantities in the world. The volume of 49.5 million hl, which accounted for 18 percent of global wine production, allowed Italy to regain the first place among the world’s leading producers. Besides being the top producer and the second largest wine exporter, Italy is also among the top consuming countries. Last year Italians drank 20.5 million hl of wine, which was a little more than in 2014, but still significantly less than in 2011. Main importers of Italian wine are Germany, the UK and the US. In terms of exported quantities America is the third largest buyer of wine from Italy, but in terms of export value, the US ranks as first. Last year the country bought Italian wine with a total value of 1,264.3 million Euros.
1. Spain
Export: 24,000,000hl
Spain ranks as first on the list of 10 countries that export the most wine in the world. Last year the country set the record exporting 24 million hl of wine worldwide. The shipments generated the revenue of 2.6 billion Euro which puts the country on the third spot among world’s leading exporters, behind France, which earned €8 billion and Italy whose wine shipments valued €5 billion. The main reason why Spain earns less than the other two countries from wine export is that the greatest share of Spain’s export is a bulk sale. If the country wants to earn more, it needs to focus on selling bottled wine with distinctive features. Currently, the leading importers of Spanish wine were France, Germany, and Italy.
