Here are a few quick, fun wine facts to pull out to impress your friends as you enjoy your holiday cocktail hours!
What country grows the most grapes? Italy, with 7,813 million metric tons, followed by the U.S. with 6,640 million. Turkey and Iran are surprise competitors because of table grape/raisin production. Turks grow — and probably originated — sultana grapes, called "Thompson seedless" in the U.S.
What country plants the most acreage of wine grapes? Spain wins because grape types and the land-water situation cause Spaniards to space vines farther apart. Spain plants 1.2 million hectares (about 4,600 square miles; larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined), followed by France with 830,000 hectares, Italy with 770,000, and the U.S. with 380,000.
What country grows the most varieties of wine grapes? Italy is the easy winner, producing some 1,200 varieties. This confirms why Italian wines are so confusing and interesting.
What country produces the most wine? According to the Wine Institute, France leads with 4.63 million liters, followed by Italy with 4.58 — but they trade leadership; call it tie. Followed by Spain (3.6), the United States (2.65), Argentina (1.63), Australia (1.07), Germany (0.93), South Africa (0.922), Chile (0.884), Portugal (0.587) and Russia (0.540).
What country drinks the most wine? Total volume: U.S. (2.9 million liters), France (2.89), Italy (2.45), Germany (2.0), United Kingdom (1.32), Russia (1.15), Spain (1.06), Argentina (.91).
Per capita in countries with populations over 5 million: France (45.7 liters — or 61 bottles per person each year), Italy (42.3 liters), Portugal (41.8), Switzerland (38.2), Denmark (35.1), Austria (29.2), Greece (27.5), Belgium (27.3), Spain (26.2). The United States is way down the list at 9.4.
This article was written by Gus Clemens and originally appeared on gosanangelo.com.
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