China ranks 5th in global wine consumption

Shanghai (CNS) -- China ranked fifth in wine consumption in 2011 behind the U.S., Italy, France and Germany, according to the latest report released by world famous wine and liquor exhibition Vinexpo.

China's appetite for wine expanded by 1.4 times since 2006, and the trend will continue. By 2015, it will become the second-largest wine importer behind the U.K., the report estimates.

France is the favorite place of origin for Chinese wine importers, which contributed to almost half of China's wine imports in 2010. Demand from Australia also rocketed in the last half decade.

The Chinese are likely to gain more preference for white wine, the report indicates.

Vinexpo's report also touches on the global liquor and cognac markets. China leads the world in the amount of liquor consumed, and is only second to the U.S. in cognac consumption, but it is likely to crawl to first place in the next five years or so.

Wine, cognac and Chinese liquor merchants are bound see fierce competition in the years to come.

The annual report is the 10th of its kind, and studies 28 wine and liquor producer countries and 114 consumer markets.