China has more vineyards than France, says international wine organisation
Growth reflects Chinese people's increasing demand for the drink, with the nation drinking 2.1 billion bottles last year
China now boasts more land dedicated to wine-making vineyards than France as it tries to satisfy a rapid rise in local demand.
China’s vineyards grew to 800,000 hectares last year, putting it behind No. 1 grower Spain but ahead of France.
Because its production is less effective than more established wine-making countries, China’s output is only the seventh-biggest, according to figures released by the Paris-based International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
France took over the title of top producer from Italy last year, with 46.7 million hectoliters, or 6.2 billion bottles.
European Union countries have intentionally reduced vineyards in recent years to make them more efficient and improve quality.
By contrast, China’s harvest is expected to yield 11.2 million hectoliters.
The bulk of that is destined for consumers in China, whose 1.4 billion people knocked back about 2.1 billion bottles of wine last year.