When we think about the biggest wine producing country in the world, France is the name that comes to our mind first. Their superior vineyards spanning across the country, exquisite wine making skills, and their remarkable taste of good wine all speak oodles about France and its people as true wine lovers.
Although the taste and production of French wine cannot be surpassed, China has overtaken France as the world’s second largest wine grower by area under cultivation.
It currently has 10.6 per cent of the world’s wine area against 10.5 per cent for France. Spain leads the list with one million hectares under vine followed by China with 799,000 hectares.
No doubt, France stills holds the title of being the biggest producer, with 46.7m hectolitres made last year.
Some also predict that very soon China could move into first place, pushing Spain and France further down.
An Asian country overtaking major European players in this sector is both surprising and promising. It also speaks for the fascination for wine among Chinese.
A year ago, China became the world’s largest consumer of red wine, leaving behind France and Italy, according to a report by Vinexpo.
It is the red wine that wins the heart of Chinese. This trend is seen by some as a preference of colour rather than the taste. In China, red is associated with good luck and also has affiliations with the Communist government. Red wine has also become the symbol of the elite class. On the other hand, white is the colour of mourning and is seen at funerals.
China’s winemaking industry has also grown over the years, and with globalization it wouldn’t be surprising to find a bottle of Chinese wine decorating the shelves in US or Canada.
France may have its own place in the market, but China with its long tradition of fermentation and distillation of local wine is giving tough competition to the European countries.
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