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Who downs the most red wine?Hint: Not France

Updated : January 17, 2020 04:27 PM IST

China has topped France and Italy to become the world's biggest consumer of red wine, according to a study by International Wine and Spirit Research commissioned by Vinexpo.

Chinese consumers downed 1.865 billion bottles of red wine last year, contributing to a 136 percent rise in consumption over the past five years, the survey released on Tuesday showed.

The US remained the world`s biggest consumer of all types of wines. The latest data on red wine consumption shows that China has pushed traditional wine-drinking countries France and Italy into second and third place respectively.

China consumed 155 million nine-liter cases of red wine in 2013. France consumed 150 million cases and Italy consumed 141 million cases.

Consumption of wine and spirits in China, the world`s second biggest economy, has risen sharply in recent years alongside an increasingly affluent consumer society.

And analysts say red, viewed as a lucky color in China, helps explain a preference for red over white wine.

In fact, China`s growing thirst is contributing to the risk of a global wine shortage, Morgan Stanley said late last year.

The data from VINEXPO was released ahead of an Asia-Pacific exhibition that will be held in May in Hong Kong.

- By CNBC.Com`s Dhara Ranasinghe;Follow her on Twitter @DharaCNBC

Who downs the most red wine?Hint: Not France

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