“Unadventurous” spanish are fourth biggest wine drinkers in Europe

The Spanish are now the fourth biggest wine drinkers in Europe, with an annual consumption of 35.6 litres per capita. A recent market survey has also revealed that more and more Spanish are opting for quality wines and 57 per cent of wine drinkers opt for Spanish wines. While the French are still the biggest wine drinkers, followed by the Portuguese and then the Italians, Spanish wine drinkers are becoming more knowledgeable and demanding about their wines. But Spanish wine drinkers are apparently “neither very adventurous nor experimental” with regards to trying wines which they are not familiar with. Apparently only 37 per cent are prepared to try a wine with which they are unfamiliar and the majority of those people are aged under 35. On average, Spanish households buy 3.8 bottles of quality wines per month and the majority of wine lovers purchase their wine in supermarkets, because it is cheaper. Across Spain there are 3'830 registered companies in the wine sector which covers an area of 1'12 million hectares, including the Balearics, and during a good harvest, will produce 35 million hectolitres. The recent survey was carried out in towns with a population of over 25'000 and a total 1'400 people were interviewed at homes and in the supermarkets.