Americans Surpass French In Wine Consumption, Hog Rosé Market

In 2010, the U.S. consumed more wine than France for the first time ever. Although France still consumes more wine per capita than the U.S., the U.S. now consumes more overall (the U.S. has a much bigger population but France had always still outpaced to U.S. in overall consumption).

This bump in wine consumption is likely fueled by the seven percent increase of domestic wine retail sales. U.S. wine exports also jumped 26% from 2009.

Our wine consumption patterns are borrowing from the French as well. According to the group Vins de Provence, exports of rosé and red wines to the U.S. from Provence jumped 132% by value and 85% by volume from 2009 to 2010.

Diners at restaurants are also ordering bottles rather than a single glass during meals. Additionally, high-end wine purchases are seeing a higher rate of purchase as well.

The U.S. is officially the world's largest wine-consuming nation. Cheers?

Comments

[JustaGirl79]

03:25 PM on 06/07/2011

I would like to say thank you to all the fellow wine drinkers out there for doing your part! Still have a long way to go, but we are getting there :)

Cali, Oregon and Washington have some really great wines!! Outside the US, I stick with South American wines and Italian. Refuse on principle to buy French wines, esepcially since there are so many great American ones!

[mendodnem]

12:05 AM on 06/07/2011

T0 Craig Hayes: What you said below - not true:
The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 or the Judgment of Paris was a wine competition organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant, in which French judges did blind tasting of top-quality chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon wines from France and from California. A California wine rated best in each category, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world's best wines. Spurrier sold only French wine and believed that the California wines would not win.
California ships wine all over the globe. Big customers, Japan and China.

[Greatest Darthfruit]

03:42 PM on 06/04/2011

Well, I love wine! But I am not a drunk, nor an alcoholic, and I rather enjoy a nice glass of tasty red wine one or two times a week than those crappy American beers!

[Ember Firedog]

07:13 PM on 06/04/2011

Hear, hear!

[adamben]

12:55 PM on 06/06/2011

hic

[MajorKong]

11:38 AM on 06/04/2011

I've certainly been doing my part.

[DanoX]

01:15 AM on 06/04/2011

'Although France still consumes more wine per capita than the U.S" Exactly. Which makes the entire premise of the article ludicrous. Might as well right an article like, America owns more cars than Jamaica! Lame.

[qtcherry]

02:29 PM on 06/03/2011

You can say 'thank you' to me :-)

[zenbamboo]

02:10 PM on 06/03/2011

China and parts of Asia are quickly catching up to the rest of the world in wine consumption. And the thing of it is that the one thing we could and should export, we don't. Or at least we are not very competitive with Europe when it comes to marketing our wines globally.

[Craig Hayes]

11:46 PM on 06/04/2011

This is because, quite frankly, our wines are not very marketable outside of the US-- ie- they aren't the best.

[aferr1]

01:44 PM on 06/03/2011

Rosé? Are you white? Red? Pick a side were at war!

[GeorgiaVeteran]

01:42 PM on 06/03/2011

I've spent years trying to convince other Americans that rose wines are generally quite dry. Most thought they were sweet (thinking "white Zinfandel"). Most of my friends now consume quite a bit of rose, especially this time of year...refreshing and versatile!

[Hardyman1966]

01:15 PM on 06/03/2011

We're number one at something! :)

[GraphicMatt]

01:08 PM on 06/03/2011

Liquor and wine sales, now there's a racket if there ever was one.

[OutAtFirst]

01:50 PM on 06/03/2011

Especially if you live in Utah. State-owned stores with an 86% markup.

[GraphicMatt]

01:59 PM on 06/03/2011

Florida has a third party policy. If I own a restaurant in Florida and go on vacation to Napa Valley I can't just buy a few cases of wine then sell them at my place. I would have to find a liquor distributer as a go between.

[zenbamboo]

02:12 PM on 06/03/2011

So if it is state owned you expect them to sell it at cost?