If we look at consumption changes over a 30 year period (1970 to 1999), the picture is more startling, consumption in Italy has fallen by 44%, in France by 34% and in Spain by 15%, the decline,happily, appears to be stabilising at last. In the UK, however, consumption has grown by 52% since 1970, the growth fuelled by wine. Consumption has risen in a similar way in Denmark (39%) and the Netherlands (43%).According to a recent report by Canadean (European Beverage consumption manual), Greater Europe as whole has reached a plateau, however, and for the alcohol based producers the future is going to be difficult, soft (33% of the drinks market) and hot drinks (30% share) are predicted as the growth sectors. Western Europes total alcohol consumption has fallen from 131 litres in 1990 to 123 litres are present and the only real growth region for wine within Europe is cited as Scandinavia and Norway in particular.

Per capita consumption in the USA and Canada peaked in the 1980s and has since fallen by 20% back to levels of 1970. Wine consumption per capita exceeded 2 gallons for the first time in 99 since 1990 in the US though, and red wine sales have grown by 124% since 1991 with the value of sales over $7 increasing too. The Beer Institute also predicts a 1.8% rise in volumes in 2001, driven by hot weather and demographics according to Jeff Becker, its President. Over the next ten years, the number of adults in their prime drinking years is predicted to jump by 25 million - adults over the age of 40 are fuelling this boom, as people over 50 have half the disposable income - the baby boomer phenomonem will continue for at least another 15 years driving the value growth of the alcoholic beverage industry at least. Signs of temperance in the up and coming generation appear strong however, latest reports showing that the number of teenagers having taken a drink in the past month was 78% lower in 1999 than in 1982 and the percentage of College freshmen who say they drink occasionally or often is at the lowest level since records were first kept - 37% lower than in 1982 in the US.

In Japan, alcohol consumption is now steady at 6.6l following a period of strong growth (44%) from a very small base since 1970. A market study by Dentsu found that 76% of women questioned preferred wine to other alcoholic drinks, with red wine being preferred to white (53%), only 8% of those surveyed did not like wine. 50.9% of those questioned estimated that their consumption of wine would increase in the future. The latest statistics show a dramatic slow down in growth in wine consumption though (up by just .8% 1998/99), against growth of 350% between 1980 and 1999

The European Region represents about half of the worlds total wine consumption and 3/4s of its production, with alcoholic drinks forming 21% of the whole beverage mix. The UK remains a dynamic (value) but relatively static volume market for wine, inspite of its high duty rates, with 15.6 litres of wine being consumed in 1999. Denmark, with 30 litres of wine being consumed per capita ( up by .8 of a litre a head 1998/99), and the Republic of Ireland up by 14% 98/99 to 29 litres are particularly exciting markets for wine although this is still dwarfed by Frances wine consumption of 57 litres.

Beer has driven Eastern European alcohol consumption up by 7% since 1990, but consumption down in Western Europe ( by 4 litres per head since 1995). Finally trends of where alcohol is consumed continue to move away from the on trade ( cost and drink-drive) to at home - just 17% of UK alcohol consumption is on premise, the highest being 49% in Spain in 1999.

On a global basis, consumption of beer and wine is generally growing (fuelled by Eastern Europe, Russia and emerging markets) whereas spirits continue to decline.On average total alcohol consumption is still declining in Western Europe ( down 6% between 1990 and 1998), North America (down 10%) and Australasia ( down 12.5%). Wine consumption continues to grow in a number of non-traditional wine drinking Countries such as the Republic of Ireland and Denmark but has stabilised in the UK and Japan over the last two years.

Notes: Consumption per head is calculated for the total population.Figures cited do not take into account home or illicit production, the black market or duty free sales.Sources include World Drinks Trends, the Wine Institute, Datamonitor, Dentsu, Mintel and Canadean.