Which countries are best for wine? What the OIV data does and does not show

Vineyard area: who has planted the most vines

The OIV puts the world's vineyard surface at 7.1 million hectares in 2024, down 0.6 per cent on 2023 and the fourth year of decline in a row. The definition is broad: it covers all planted vines, including table grapes and grapes for drying, plus young vines that are not yet productive. So a large vineyard area does not mean a large wine industry.

Spain has the largest vineyard in the world at 930 thousand hectares, which is 13.1 per cent of the total. France follows at 783 thousand hectares, China at 753, Italy at 728, Türkiye at 402 and the United States at 385. The OIV notes that Türkiye's area is mostly table and dried grapes. Italy is the only one of the top seven with positive growth in 2024. The report also lists Argentina at 200 thousand hectares, Portugal at 173, Chile at 166, Australia at 159, South Africa at 120 and Germany at 103.

The European Commission adds a regional view. In 2023 the EU held 44 per cent of global wine-growing areas, and protected designation of origin and protected geographical indication wines cover 88 per cent of EU vineyards.

The 2024 harvest: Italy, France and Spain at the top

Production is a better guide to wine than vineyard area. The OIV estimates 2024 world production, excluding juices and musts, at 225.8 million hectolitres, down 4.8 per cent on the previous year and the lowest since 1961. Italy led at 44.1 million hectolitres, 19.5 per cent of the world total and a 15 per cent increase on 2023. France was second at 36.1, a fall of 23.5 per cent, its lowest output since 1957. Spain was third at 31.0, up 9.3 per cent. The United States was fourth at 21.1.

Weather was the main cause of the weak year. The OIV report names early frosts, heavy rainfall, prolonged drought, hailstorms and downy mildew pressure in Europe. Germany made 7.8 million hectolitres and Portugal 6.9, both down on 2023, while Georgia's estimated 2.4 million hectolitres was its highest since the start of the century. Wikipedia's article, which uses older FAO data for 2021, lists the same top five in the same order: Italy, France, Spain, the United States and China.

The practical lesson for a visitor is that scale and recent harvests can change year by year. A country can be a top producer in volume and still have a poor harvest.

Who drinks it: consumption by country

Consumption shows where wine culture is most active in volume terms, and it points somewhere different from production. The OIV estimates 2024 world consumption at 214.2 million hectolitres, down 3.3 per cent. The United States consumed the most, at 33.3 million hectolitres or 15.6 per cent of the total, then France at 23.0, Italy at 22.3, Germany at 17.8, the United Kingdom at 12.6 and Spain at 9.9.

Volume is not the same as per-person consumption, and we do not have a per-person table in the report, so we draw no conclusion about which people drink the most. China's fall is notable: its consumption dropped from 15.0 million hectolitres in 2019 to 5.5 in 2024 in the same table.

Georgia and Armenia: the oldest evidence

If you value history over volume, the Caucasus matters. Wikipedia says the earliest known traces of wine were found near Tbilisi in Georgia, from about 6000 BCE, and that the earliest known winery, from about 4100 BCE, is the Areni-1 winery in Armenia.

UNESCO lists the ancient Georgian traditional qvevri wine-making method on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, inscribed in 2013. The qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel used for making, ageing and storing wine. UNESCO says the grapes are pressed, the juice, skins, stalks and pips go into the vessel, which is sealed and buried so the wine can ferment for several months, and that knowledge is passed down through families and communities.

Georgia is not a top-tier country by volume in the OIV tables, so it would never appear on a list built only on size. This is the reason we include a heritage case at all.

The Southern Hemisphere: Argentina, Chile, Australia and South Africa

The OIV reports that the Southern Hemisphere made 45.8 million hectolitres in 2024, down 3.6 per cent on 2023 and the lowest in twenty years. Argentina was the leading Southern Hemisphere producer at 10.9 million hectolitres, followed by Australia at 10.2, Chile at 9.3 and South Africa at 8.8. New Zealand produced 2.8, down 21.2 per cent, which the report attributes to frost in Marlborough.

There is a travel point in the report's footnote: it counts Southern Hemisphere production from grapes harvested in the first half of the year and Northern Hemisphere production from the second half. So harvest-time visits fall in different parts of the calendar. Wikipedia adds that wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and 50th degrees of latitude, in both hemispheres.

The same OIV report says Chile's 2024 output was its lowest since 2010, and South Africa's the lowest since 2005. Years like these are a reminder to treat any ranking as a snapshot.

Wine tourism: what the sources say about visiting

Wikipedia defines wine tourism as tourism whose purpose is or includes tasting, consuming or buying wine, often at or near the source. It names regions rather than ranking countries. For Italy it lists Piedmont for Nebbiolo wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco, Tuscany for Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, and Marche and Abruzzo for Montepulciano. For Spain it names Priorat in Catalonia, where very small, low-production estates focus on intimate visits with the owner as host. For Australia it lists Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley, Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley, among others.

In the United States, Napa Valley and Sonoma County are the best-known areas, and California has over 4,800 wineries. The article also notes that Napa's growing popularity has brought crowds and higher tasting-room fees. Harvest experience tours let visitors take part in picking and crushing, and Enotourism Day is held on the second Sunday of November to promote cellar visits in several European countries.

These are lists of places named by one reference, not a ranking. Opening hours and booking rules are set by each producer, so check before you go.

Staying in wine country: kitchens, bases and longer stays

A wine trip suits an apartment more than people expect, because shopping at markets and cooking local produce is part of the pleasure. Cooking in an aparthotel kitchen explains what the equipment usually includes, and countries with the best food looks at the wider food picture. For a week or more, weekly serviced apartments covers what to ask.

Rural options differ: what is a finca and what is a bed and breakfast explain the alternatives. Our hubs list aparthotels in cities near wine regions, such as Bordeaux, Porto, Florence and Margaret River. We do not say how far any is from a vineyard. If you prefer coffee to wine, the neighbouring comparison is countries for coffee.