GO FIGURE
1.5
Billions of gallons of wine to be produced in France this year, up 20 percent from last year, according to The Associated Press.
1.86
Millions of tons of grapes crushed in Australia this year, according to the Winemaker’s Federation of Australia. The 40 percent increase over last year is a record for the country.
6
Number of months it took French exports to drop from 23 to 15 percent in 2003, according to France’s wine and spirits exporters federation.
14.2
Percent of year-on-year sales plummet reported by alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget in Sweden. The drop is linked to neighboring Baltic states being admitted to the European Union, which has lower taxes.
105.5
Million hectoliters of beer sold by German breweries in 2003, according to DBB, Germany’s beer brewers association. Consumption slowdown is being blamed for the 2.1 percent decrease as compared to 2002 figures.
135.98
Millions of cases of regular Japanese beer shipped in the first six months of this year as a result of economic recovery in the country, according to reports from the Top 5 Japanese brewers.
465.2
Millions of liters of Spanish wine that were exported during the first quarter of 2004, according to the Spanish Wine Federation. France and Germany were the main importers of the viño.