Andorra, 33.84 liters per person
No, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/andorra/" target="_hplink">Andorra</a> was not a character on “Bewitched,” it’s a principality tucked in between <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/" target="_hplink">France</a> and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/spain" target="_hplink">Spain</a> in the Pyrenees mountains. Surprisingly, Andorra is only the sixth smallest nation in Europe, but it’s a powerhouse in tourism.
This tiny land of about 85,000 inhabitants hosts a mind-blowing 10 million tourists a year, which no doubt helps to beef up their wine consumption.
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephen_downes/5580649910/" target="_hplink">Stephen Downes</a> via Flickr/cc
Slovenia, 36.40 liters per person
It’s a bit surprising to find <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/slovenia/" target="_hplink">Slovenia</a> so low on this list. Sharing borders with <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/italy/" target="_hplink">Italy</a> and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/austria/" target="_hplink">Austria</a>, Slovenia has a long history of wine production and a decidedly advanced lifestyle that would seem to support a bit more vigorous consumption of the juice of the grape.
Slovenia is also a popular tourist destination, though it pales in comparison with Andorra as far as numbers go. The Alps, Prealps and wine producing regions around the city of Maribor all are particularly popular with fellow European travelers.
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pjh/131576597/" target="_hplink">phault</a> via Flickr/cc
Denmark, 35.09 liters per person
The Danes are well known as enthusiastic drinkers, and the fact that their wine purchases increased by over 27 percent between 2007 and 2011 certainly supports that impression.
It’s cold in <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/denmark/" target="_hplink">Denmark</a> and winters are long, which helps to keep the wine flowing, but you have to think about how much of Denmark’s wine consumption is altered by what goes on in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, both integral parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. I’ll have to look into that, but I’m betting the folks on the continent have a wee bit higher rate of consumption than those living thousands of kilometers by sea from the world’s best vineyards.
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/question_everything/5007515211/" target="_hplink">Let Ideas Compete</a> via Flickr/cc
Turks & Caicos, 37.88 liters per person
I know, I didn’t believe it either, but there they are. <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/turks-and-caicos-islands/" target="_hplink">The Turks & Caicos</a>, those British islands in the <a href="http://www.snooth.com/articles/the-caribbean-on-sale/" target="_hplink">Caribbean</a>. While the landmass of these archipelagos might be just a few square kilometers smaller than that of Andorra, its population is barely more than half at 45,000. Add in several hundred thousand tourists a year and something still doesn’t seem to add up here.
Purchases on the islands have risen almost 25 percent since 2007. Maybe the island just had to restock its bar or something, because on the face of it, there is no reason Turks & Caicos should be making this list. I think it’s time for some investigative journalism!
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_hintsa/3355672676/" target="_hplink">matt.hintsa</a> via Flickr/cc
Switzerland, 38.20 liters per person
Yes, tourism and big money are the keys to <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/switzerland/" target="_hplink">Switzerland</a>’s success. That and neutrality of course.
The Swiss lie in the center of Europe, surrounded by the best vineyards on earth all virtually within a day’s travel. You would think with so many treasures at their doorstep that they would indulge a bit more. Is it that Swiss sense of composure we’re seeing in these figures? Or their frugality? I wonder how much wine got trucked back in the trunks of Swiss vehicles from, say, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/italy/tuscany/brunello-di-montalcino/" target="_hplink">Brunello</a>, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/burgundy/cote-dor/cote-de-beaune/beaune/" target="_hplink">Beaune</a> and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/bordeaux/" target="_hplink">Bordeaux</a> and was missed by this census?
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nfrhtp/5335638730/" target="_hplink">Nfrhtp</a> via Flickr/cc
Portugal, 41.81 liters per person
<a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/portugal/" target="_hplink">Portugal</a> is like the lost European wine country. It’s peppered with vineyards and the wines are fabulous, whether we’re talking about a light little <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/portugal/vinho-verde/" target="_hplink">Vinho Verde</a> or something substantial from <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/portugal/oporto/" target="_hplink">Oporto</a>.
With so many wines to choose from and a cuisine that draws on the best of land and the county’s extensive coast, it’s not surprising that wine continues to play an important role in the Portuguese lifestyle.
Incidentally, while <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/italy/" target="_hplink">Italy</a> consumes more wine per person than Portugal, the Portuguese consume more alcohol per person from wine. They consume 6.65 liters of alcohol from wine as opposed to the Italians’ 6.38. With all that <a href="http://www.snooth.com/wines/port/1/0/" target="_hplink">Port</a> and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/wines/madeira/1/0/" target="_hplink">Madeira</a>, it’s easy to see why.
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferlomu/4776401875/" target="_hplink">ferlomu</a> via Flickr/cc
Italy, 42.15 liters per person
That brings us to <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/italy/" target="_hplink">Italy</a>, once the world’s wine consumption leader with every person of age averaging some 70 plus liters per year. Prosperity, modernization and drunk driving laws have all conspired to push that down to a still impressive level. Of course, tourism (some 43 million plus visitors a year) is a big part of Italy’s economy, so one would think that is taken into account here. This leaves me thinking that maybe everything is not as it seems here.
Could the Italians be supplementing their purchases with some that are not being properly tracked? I’d be shocked, shocked I tell you! How could that possibly happen in the world’s number one wine producing country?
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyng883/132635128/" target="_hplink">lyng883</a> via Flickr/cc
France, 45.70 liters per person
<a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/" target="_hplink">France</a> and Italy have historically swapped the various titles of world’s largest producer or consumer of wine over the year, but as of late, the French seem to be edging out their southern neighbor in the consumption end of things.
France is what pops to mind when you think of fine wine. The famous names are endless, coming from <a href="http://www.snooth.com/regions/france/bordeaux" target="_hplink">Bordeaux</a>, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/regions/france/burgundy" target="_hplink">Burgundy</a>, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/regions/france/alsace" target="_hplink">Alsace</a>, the <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/rhone/" target="_hplink">Rhone</a> and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/champagne/" target="_hplink">Champagne</a>. There is no other country with so many wines that serve as global benchmarks.
One would think that pride plays a small but significant role in France’s robust consumption, and even though purchases of wines have drifted lower, they remain the top purchasers in Europe, with a few small exceptions.
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/calips96/258782117/" target="_hplink">calips96</a> via Flickr/cc
Luxembourg, 52.46 liters per person
Like <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/germany/luxembourg/" target="_hplink">Luxembourg</a>, for example. Half a million people call Luxembourg home, the country strategically placed between <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/france/" target="_hplink">France</a>, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/belgium/" target="_hplink">Belgium</a> and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/germany/" target="_hplink">Germany</a>. This is a banking capital of Europe with the highest per capita income in the world, so not only are they drinking a lot, they are probably drinking a lot better than you or me!
This makes one think that maybe not all of the wine sold in Luxembourg gets consumed in Luxembourg. Could this be a case of illegal imports by visiting neighbors? More investigation is required. I volunteer for the tour of European micro-nations.
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/270611433/" target="_hplink">jepoirrier</a> via Flickr/cc
Norfolk Island, 54.50 liters per person
Now this might be our weirdest entry on the list, but don’t hold your breath. <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/norfolk-island/" target="_hplink">Norfolk Island</a> isn’t even a country, it’s part of <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/australia/" target="_hplink">Australia</a>. You really have to wonder why an island of 36 square miles and 2,300 inhabitants would even be on this list, but then you see the numbers that count.
Yes, according to The Wine Institute, Norfolk Islanders are buying almost 55 liters of wine a year, and it’s not like visitors and hoards of tourists are pumping up those figures!
I worked it out and it looks like some 14,000 cases of wine are heading to Norfolk Island annually. That’s an awful lot of wine for 2,300 people, some 16 percent of whom are under the age of 14. Anyone know the drinking age on Norfolk Island?
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/globalcitizen01/6850582071/" target="_hplink">GlobalCitizen01</a> via Flickr/cc
Vatican City, 54.78 liters per person
To be honest I’m not sure if I made this 11 countries so that I could include <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/andorra/" target="_hplink">Andorra</a> or so that I could include <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/vatican-city/" target="_hplink">Vatican City</a>. I mean it’s just a city, right? 109 square acres of Rome, more than half gardens, and home to about 832 people. This makes the inclusion of Norfolk Island seem entirely rational.
You have to wonder if the 2,400 Italians who come to work every day in Vatican City skew these figures. It’s not that the consumption figures are really that high, it’s just, well, weird. Maybe there’s a lot of sacramental wine being used as well?
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snoodette/2173653330/" target="_hplink">geekygirlnyc</a> via Flickr/cc
Countries That Just Missed The List
As a little bonus, a few additional countries which make some lists for the top 11 wine consuming nations:
<a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/croatia/" target="_hplink">Croatia</a> is fifth on some lists, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/hungary/" target="_hplink">Hungary</a> ninth, <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/moldova/" target="_hplink">Moldova</a> tenth and <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/argentina/" target="_hplink">Argentina</a> eleventh.
I’m not sure why these folks didn’t make The Wine Institute list, though I will note that both Hungary and Argentina saw recent consumption figures fall by 29 percent and 13 percent respectively, which may account for the inclusion in an earlier list.
The big surprise in all of this? <a href="http://www.snooth.com/region/spain/" target="_hplink">Spain</a>. Where is Spain? Down in sixteenth place with 26.16 liters pp, down some 20 percent over the past four years. Don’t worry Spain, I’m coming to do my share!
Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/djt23/3402060513/" target="_hplink">DeeJayTee23</a> via Flickr/cc
Want To Learn More
Want to see the wines that GDP can't live without from one of the top wine consuming countries in the world? <a href="http://www.snooth.com/articles/bucket-list-wines-france/" target="_hplink">Click here to learn more</a>!
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Read more wine news and reviews at <a href="http://www.snooth.com/" target="_hplink">Snooth.com</a>.
You might also like:</em>
- <a href="http://www.snooth.com/articles/summer-beers/" target="_hplink">Summer Beers</a>
- <a href="http://www.snooth.com/articles/7-unusual-wines-for-pork/" target="_hplink">7 Unusual Wines for Pork</a>
- <a href="http://www.snooth.com/articles/red-wines-for-summer/" target="_hplink">Red Wines for Summer</a>
This should have been a simple task. After all, the numbers I'm using come from The Wine Institute's annual tally of wine consumption, this time for the vintage of 2010. So it's just a simple list, right?
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