ACCORDING to statistics provided by the Paris-based International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in June 2017, the area under vine throughout the world was estimated at 7.5 million hectares in 2016, with total wine production estimated at 267 million hectolitres (9% less than in 2015). South Africa now ranks seventh among the biggest wine-producing countries in the world: 1 Italy (50.9 million hectolitres), 2 France (43.5 mhl), 3 Spain (39.3 mhl), 4 USA (23.9 mhl), 5 Australia (13.0 mhl), 6 China (11.4 mhl), 7 South Africa (10.5 mhl), 8 Chile (10.1 mhl), 9 Argentina (9.4 mhl), 10 Germany (9.0 mhl), 11 Portugal (6.0 mhl), 12 Russia (5.6 mhl), 13 Romania (3.3 mhl), 14 New Zealand (3.1 mhl), 15 Greece (2.6 mhl), 16 Serbia (2.3 mhl), 17 Austria (2.0 mhl), 18 Hungary (1.9 mhl), 19 Moldova (1.7 mhl), 20 Brazil (1.6 mhl).

Spain has the most vineyard plantings (975 million hectares), followed by China (847 mha), France (785 mha) and Italy (690 mha). At 22.9 million hectolitres, Spain also exports the most wine, followed by Italy (20.6 mhl), France (14.1 mhl), Chile (9.1 mhl), Australia (7.5 mhl), South Africa (4.3 mhl), the USA (3.8 mhl) and Germany (3.6 mhl). Whereas the USA is the biggest wine-consuming country in the world at 31.8 million hectolitres, followed by France (27 mhl), Italy (22.5 mhl), Germany (19.5 mhl), China (17.3 mhl) and the United Kingdom (12.9 mhl), with Germany the biggest importer of wine at 14.5 mhl, followed by the UK (13.5 mhl), the USA (11.2 mhl), France (7.5 mhl) and China (6.4 mhl).

Statistics published in June 2017 (for the year 2016) by SA Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS) include the following:

SA Wine Production and Sales

• Annual wine production: 898.4 million litres – down from 968m in 2015 and 958m in 2014
• Annual sales, domestic: 436.9 million litres – up from 425m in 2015 and 395m in 2014
• Annual sales, export: 451.8 million litres (vs 420m in 2015 and 423m in 2014), i.e. 172m packaged (175m in 2015) and 280m bulk (245m in 2015)

SA Wine Industry Structure

• Farms where grapes are grown for making wine: 3145 – down from 3232 in 2015 and 3314 in 2014
• Farms registered for ‘Estate Wine’ production: 209 (vs 210 in 2015)
• Total number of wineries: 568 – up from 566 in 2015 and 559 in 2014
• Wholesalers: 118 (up from 104 in 2015), i.e. 27 producing wholesalers (up from 24), and 91 bulk wine buyers (up from 80)
• Co-operative wineries: 48 (vs 48 in 2015)
• Independent wineries: 493 (vs 494 in 2015)

SA Vineyards and Cellars

Total area under vine, wine grapes: 95 775 hectares (284 million vines), vs 98 594 ha (292m vines) in 2015 and 99 472 ha (295m vines) in 2014

Stellenbosch: 15 339 hectares and 174 wineries, vs 15 911 ha and 171 wineries in 2015, 16 037 ha and 172 wineries in 2014
Paarl: 15 280 hectares and 126 wineries, vs 15 678 ha and 128 wineries in 2015, 15 835 ha and 126 wineries in 2014
Robertson: 13 227 hectares and 52 wineries, vs 14 264 ha and 66 wineries in 2015, 14 652 ha and 63 wineries in 2014
Swartland: 12 940 hectares and 33 wineries, vs 13 315 ha and 33 wineries in 2015, 13 591 ha and 31 wineries in 2014
Breedekloof: 12 893 hectares and 30 wineries, vs 13 029 ha and 28 wineries in 2015, 13 022 ha and 28 wineries in 2014
Olifants River: 10 018 hectares and 15 wineries, vs 10 263 ha and 15 wineries in 2015, 10 149 ha (15 wineries) in 2014
Worcester: 6 618 hectares and 21 wineries, vs 8 824 ha and 57 wineries in 2015, 8 858 ha and 57 wineries in 2014
Northern Cape: 4 360 hectares and 17 wineries, vs 4 687 ha and 17 wineries in 2015, 4 659 ha and 13 wineries in 2014
Cape South Coast: 2 657 hectares and 47 wineries (new district / recently demarcated)
Klein Karoo: 2 443 hectares and 26 wineries, vs 2 625 ha and 27 wineries in 2015, 2 660 ha and 29 wineries in 2014

SA Vineyards – White Grapes

Total white grape vineyards: 55.2%

Chenin Blanc: 18.5%
Colombar(d): 12%
Sauvignon Blanc: 9.7%
Chardonnay: 7.2%
Semillon: 1.2%

SA Vineyards – Red Grapes

Total red grape vineyards: 44.8%

Cabernet Sauvignon: 11.1%
Shiraz: 10.4%
Pinotage: 7.4%
Merlot: 5.8%
Ruby Cabernet: 2.4%
Cinsaut: 1.8%
Pinot Noir: 1.2%

SA Wine Exports over 12 months

To United Kingdom: 102 million litres (66m in bulk), vs 103m (71m in bulk) in 2015
To Germany: 79 million litres (60m in bulk), vs 75m (58m in bulk) in 2015
To Russia: 33 million litres (28m in bulk), vs 20m (18m in bulk) in 2015
To France: 28 million litres (28m in bulk), vs 28m (28m bulk) in 2015
To Canada: 28 million litres (20m in bulk), vs 22m (14m bulk) in 2015
To USA: 25 million litres (15m in bulk), vs 12m (2m bulk) in 2015
To Netherlands: 22 million litres (7m in bulk), vs 23m (8m bulk) in 2015
To Denmark: 20 million litres (14m in bulk), vs 21m (13m bulk) in 2015
To Sweden: 20 million litres (6m in bulk), vs 24m (7m bulk) in 2015
To China: 19 million litres (9m in bulk), vs 10m (2m bulk) in 2015
To Belgium: 11 million litres (6m in bulk), vs 10m (5m bulk) in 2015

Wine Imports to SA over 12 months

• Natural, Still Wine Imports: 16 million litres in 2015 vs 15 million litres in 2014
• Fortified Wine Imports: 7 516 litres in 2015 vs 6 953 litres in 2014
• Sparkling Wine Imports: 575 906 litres in 2015 vs 408 385 litres in 2014

• For the latest SA wine industry stats, see here.