Chinese are no 1 Red Wine consumers

China has become the largest red wine market in the world after consuming 155 million nine-litre cases in 2013. France has been pushed to the number 2 spot with nearly 150m cases and Italy in 3rd place.

There are a number of reasons behind this market’s appetite for red wine in particular. These include its perceived health benefits, especially in comparison to rice-based spirits, as well as the positive associations of red in Chinese culture as a whole, where the colour is associated with wealth, power and good luck.

Whilst China is a major export target for many wineries the international wine and spirits research (IWSR) survey found that over 80% of wine consumed in the country is produced domestically. China is currently the fifth largest producer of wine in the world.