But which countries are leading the way when it comes to wine? We’ve analysed the 20 biggest wine producing countries in the world, comparing them against four key criteria: total area of vineyards, annual wine production, % of global wine exports and average rating of wine produced in that country. We then used this data to create a new ranking of the world’s best wine producing regions.
So, whether you’re planning a trip away or just need help deciding which bottle to choose when you’re out for dinner, we’re here to help.
Where are the world's best wine producing countries?
Unsurprisingly, France tops the chart as the best wine producing country. The French are the second biggest producer globally, beaten only by Italy, and are responsible for 29.5% of global wine exports each year, according to analysis from WorldsTopExports.com.
French wine was also the second highest rated, based on our analysis of over 16,000 bottles listed on Vivino, with an average rating of 82.3, just below the USA’s 82.6 average.
Despite only being the third largest producer of wine, Spain has the largest area of vineyards, with 969,000 hectares under vine. To put that in context, that’s enough to cover Greater London 6 times over!
A relative newcomer in the world of wine, China came in 5th place in our ranking. However, despite having the second largest area of vineyards, with 875,000 hectares under vine, China still has a way to go, with the lowest average rating for their wine.
Which countries drink the most wine?
While some people are great at producing fantastic wine, others prefer to spend their time drinking it. Using data from the OIV 2019 State of the Vitiviniculture World Market Report, around the total amount of wine consumed around the world, combined with population data, we were able to discover which countries are drinking the most wine.
Portugal came out on top as the country that drinks the most wine, consuming 550 million litres each year – which works out at 71.5 bottles per person. France comes in second, with a total of 54.6 bottles per person per year (2,680 million litres in total).
The UK came in 17th place in our ranking of the biggest wine drinking nations, with Brits only drinking the equivalent of 24.7 bottles per person per year (1,240 million litres in total).
Which countries have the best wine?
By analysing a sample of over 16,000 bottles of wine listed on Vivino, we were able to put an average rating to the red, white, rosé and sparkling wines produced in each country in our list, as well as an overall ranking.
The USA took the number one spot, with the highest rated wine in the world, scoring an average of 82.6, closely followed by France with 82.3. Both nations actually saw their highest scores for their sparkling wine, with 83.9 and 85 respectively, with their reds having the lowest of their individual ratings, with averages of 80.1 for USA and 76.9 for France.
At the other end of the table, China had the lowest rated wine, with an average of just 69.5 overall. China only has red and sparkling wine available on Vivino, with their red getting an average score of 59, while their sparkling wine has an average of 80.
*The data for this ranking was sourced from the OIV 2019 State of the Vitiviniculture World Market Report, WorldsTopExports.com and Vivino.com. For the World’s Biggest Wine Lovers ranking, we looked at the total population for each country, using the standard 750ml measurement for a bottle.
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