The average British adult will be drinking one less bottle of wine per year by 2016, reports Financial Times. And it’s not just the U.K. that’s sobering up a bit—Argentina, Thailand, South Korea, Spain, France, and the United States are predicted to see a drop in consumption as well in the next four years. According to Vinexpo’s International Wine and Spirit Research, the trend boils down to a mix of economic and public health reasons.
China and Russia are two countries where wine consumption hasn’t—and likely won’t—hit a slump.
Needless to say, the wine industry isn’t thrilled about this news. However, Vinexpo Chairman Xavier de Eizaguirre tells the Financial Times that while there is less drinking on a regular basis, there is an overall rise in quality of the average drink.
[via Financial Times; subscription required]