Whether you're pairing it with dinner or just sipping on something while you watch the sun go down, unwinding with a nice glass of wine at the end of the day can be one of life's great pleasures. Some gush over Gamay. Others are serious about Syrah. And many people really like Riesling. Of course, no matter what your tastes may be, everyone has their preferences regarding what they'll pour themselves, from red and white to rosé and orange and all of the above. But even among so many options, there are still a few grape varieties that more people tend to prefer than others. Read on to see what data shows is the number one type of wine to drink in the U.S.
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Americans drink a lot of wine compared to the rest of the world.
iStockWhile it may not be everyone's first adult beverage of choice, research shows that Americans drink a lot of wine each year. In fact, the U.S. consumed a whopping 33.1 million hectoliters—or 3.31 billion liters—of it in 2021, according to data from the International Organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV) reported by Decanter. This is more than any other country, topping even France in second place with 25.2mhl, Italy with 24.2mhl, and Germany with 19.8mhl.
However, things look a little different when you consider population. The U.S. doesn't even crack the top 10 in wine consumption per capita, with Portugal leading the globe at 51.9 liters per capita, per OIV data. France comes in second with 46.9 liters per person, followed by Italy with 46 liters per capita.
But new research shows that Americans certainly have specific favorites when it comes to what they drink.
New research shows there's a clear number one pick for wine drinkers in the U.S.
iStockAmericans have no shortage of wine options. But according to new data from the polling website Wise Voter, there's a clear winner when it comes to which variety is most likely to end up in someone's glass.
Researchers used survey data from the past decade through 2021 to determine the most popular types of wine in each state, ranging from Chardonnay to White Zinfandel. Results found that Sauvignon Blanc came out on top in 16 states, making it the most broadly popular type of wine in the U.S. It was followed in second place by Cabernet Sauvignon as the wine of choice in 10 states, and Pinot Noir as the glass of choice in eight.
Certain states drink a lot more wine than others, data shows.
iStockWhile the U.S. consumes more wine overall than any other nation on Earth, it's not evenly spread out geographically. The study found that certain states drink more than their fair share of vino, with Idaho coming out on top with 1.21 gallons of wine per capita. The rest of the states rounding out the top five are all located in the Northeast, with New Hampshire coming in second at 0.84 gallons per capita, followed by Vermont with 0.78 gallons a person, Delaware with 0.72 gallons per capita, and Massachusetts with 0.63 gallons per person.
Results showed that the residents of West Virginia drink the least amount of wine at 0.11 gallons per capita. It's followed by Kansas with 0.14 gallons per person, Mississippi with 0.18 gallons per head, and Utah and Oklahoma, which tie with 0.20 gallons per capita.
Wine consumption overall in the U.S. has increased drastically over the past decade.
ShutterstockIf recent trends are any indication, the U.S. may very well continue to lead the world in the amount of wine drunk annually. Data shows that the volume of vino consumption has risen steadily over the last decade, up from 872 million gallons in 2012 to 1.1 billion gallons in 2021, according to the Wine Institute. And from 2020 to 2021 alone, the U.S. saw a nearly 10 percent increase in the amount of wine that was drunk.
However, some data could be skewed by the COVID-19 pandemic: Last year's jump could likely represent the reopening of bars and restaurants after tight lockdowns, Decanter reports. And experts warn that supply chain issues could also hit the industry in the coming months.
"The prices of containers have multiplied by 20, the prices for the palettes have increased by seven [or] eight times," Pau Roca, director general of the OIV, said during a live-streamed press conference in April, per Decanter.
