The Countries
The wines competing at the Wine Olympics come from six heavily decorated wine countries. Some of the biggest producers and exporters of some of the finest wines in the world, these countries will be squaring off – tested by YOUR pallets - for the Bronze, Silver and Gold of the Wine Olympics.
Here’s a look at some of their stats:
Tapiz Winery, located in Mendoza.
Argentina
Population: 40,091,359 (32nd)
Wine Production: 1,550,000 metric tons (5th)
Among Argentina’s wine producing regions, the Mendoza region is probably it’s most famous.
Argentinians consume an average of 10.4 gallons of wine per person annually, a little over a glass every other day.
The most interesting wine out of Argentina is the Malbec. Originally the grapes were mostly used only as one of the six varietals in the Bordeaux blend. However, the malbec wine is “far more delicious when made in Argentina than in it’s native Bordeaux.” – Wine Bible
Vineyards in Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy, a village that is the source of some of France's most expensive wines.
France
Population: 65,821,885 (21st)
Wine Production: 4,711,600 metric tons (2nd)
Some of France’s most famous wine regions include Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cognac and Champagne, though there are many more.
France ranks annually among the very top wine-producing countries worldwide. The French drink on average, 16.4 gallons of wine per person each year – a healthy 5.75 oz glass of wine a day.
For one week each year, French schoolchildren, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, go on field trips to three-star restaurants in order to taste foie gras, Bresse chickens, Roquefort cheese and other famous French products, including the occasional wine.
Steep vineyards along river Mosel, close to the village Ürzig.
Germany
Population: 81,802,000 (14th)
Wine Production: 891,600 metric tons (9th)
Germany is a top producer of white wines. Germany’s wine producing regions include Mittelhein, Ahr, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, The Rheingau, Nahe, The Rheinhessen, Franken, the Pfalz and Baden.
Consuming only 6.16 gallons of wine a year, the Germans can hardly be blamed. While they only drink a glass of wine two-three times a week, they drink about a pint of beer a day to make up for it.
Not ordinarily known for being a whimsical country, the names of some of Germany’s well known vineyards would suggest otherwise. Eselhaut - Donkey Hide, Katzenbisser - Biter of Cats, Goldtropfchen - Little raindrops of gold, Honigsakel - Honey pot with a sexual connotation, and Zweifelberg - place of doubt, are just of a few of dozens with such names.
Vineyards around the town of Barolo.
Italy
Population: 60,518,477 (23rd)
Wine Production: 5,050,000 metric tons (1st)
Italy is the worlds leading producer of wine, but falls behind France in annual consumption with a mere 14.51 gallons of wine per person each year – only a little over 5 ounces daily.
Some of Italy’s key wine production regions are Piedmont, Tuscany and Umbria.
Glasses – obviously an integral part of wine drinking – have some history in Italy. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, glassmakers in Venice were held as virtual captives of their guild. Any glassblower caught trying to escape from the island or revealing the secret of Venetian glassmaking was punished by death.
A vineyard in Spain
Spain
Population: 46,152,925 (27th)
Wine Production: 3,645,000 metric tons (3rd)
Spain’s most famous wine region is probably Rioja, but Ribera Del Duero and Jerez (the source of Sherry,) are also important regions.
The Spanish consume an average of 10.06 gallons of wine per person, a glass every other day.
The phrase Spaniards use to describe an extraordinary wine is “Beber este vino es como hablar con Dios” meaning “tasting this wine is like talking with God.”
Owen Roe vineyard in Washington State
United States
Population: 311,988,000 (3rd)
Wine Production: 2,300,000 metric tons (4th)
The United States biggest wine producers are California, New York and Washington. Although wine is produced in all 50 states.
The US consumes a measly 1.97 gallons of wine a year per person, or less and a glass a week. Comparatively, the US leads the world in daily sugar consumption at whopping 22 teaspoons per person.
The largest winery in the US is also the largest winery in the world. E & J Gallo produces close to 70 million cases a year – approximately equal to that of the entire country of Portugal.
____
Many of these stats were sourced from the Wine Bible, by Karen MacNeil - a must-have for wine geeks, aspiring and aged alike! Other stats were sourced by the always helpful Wikipedia.com.
