What state consumes the most wine?

If you think you and your friends are contributing to your first place win in statewide wine consumption, forget it.

Although California accounts for 80 percent of the country’s wine production, its residents don’t drink the most. That title goes to Washington, D.C. with 1.01 gallons per person. The reason is most likely the political arena and people coming from neighboring states for cheaper wines and better selection.

I lived in Maryland for 35 years and often traveled to Washington, D.C., to purchase wine at lower prices. Maryland ranks 26th with a meager .40 gallons per person.

New Hampshire is second in per capita consumption, but probably for the same reason.

The South drinks the most wine by volume but the West drinks the most wine per capita.

These numbers come from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Wine consumption drops in U.S.

For the first time since 1994, wine consumption in this country dropped. According to IWSR, the industry’s tracking service, Americans drank .9 percent less in 2019.

Experts attribute the decline to health-conscious millennials who have turned to alternatives such as hard seltzers, sparkling water and even non-alcoholic beer.

Sales by value rose about a percent, however, because consumers are drinking more expensive bottles.

Consumption got a boost from stories about the health benefits of wine consumption, but millennials haven’t been influenced by such an old story. Instead, they are focused on healthy foods and beverages as well as cost.

If additional tariffs are executed as early as this week, the wine industry is going to take an even bigger hit.

Those Andorrans drink a lot of wine

I’ve always been amused by the little known fact that the Vatican has the highest per capita consumption of wine in the world. No other country comes close — until recently.

The new top dog in wine consumption is Andorra.

You’re probably thinking the same as me: where in the hell is Andorra? And, it’s a country?

The Principality of Andorra, as it likes to be called, is a 181 square miles patch between France and Spain in the Pyrennees mountains. Known for its ski resorts and tax haven, the soverign nation is the sixth smallest in Europe (OK, smarty pants, name the five that are smaller).

The 78,000 people who live there — and the 10 million who visit annually — must drink a load of wine. In fact, the population drinks nearly 57 liters a person!

The official language is Catalan, but when the people drink a lot, it’s more like Mayan.

Here’s the ranking:

1. Andorra - 56.9 litres per capita a year

2. Vatican City - 56.2

3. Croatia - 46.9

4. Portugal - 43.7

5. France - 43.1

6. Slovenia - 42.5

7. Macedonia - 40.4

8. Falkland Islands - 38.5

9. Switzerland - 37

10. Italy - 34.1