Wine production, consumption still in decline

As the Vancouver International Wine Festival wraps up in Vancouver, we update you on the evolution of global wine consumption by colour courtesy of the statistics department of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine from 2000 to 2021.

Global red wine supply and demand have significantly decreased in the last 20 years. In 2021, production has declined by 25 per cent since its peak in 2004 and now accounts for about 43 per cent of consumption. White wine has increased in 2021 by 13 per cent since its lowest level in 2002. It overcame red wine production in 2013, rising from 46 per cent of the world total to 49 per cent. In the last 20 years, rosé wine has grown significantly in terms of supply and demand at the world level. Global production has seen an increase of 25 per cent between 2001 and 2021. At the beginning of the century, rosé wines represented between six and seven per cent of the world's production, while in recent years, they accounted for more than eight per cent on average.

B.C. WINE OF THE WEEK Church & State Wines Trebella 2020, Okanagan Valley $21.65 I 89/100 UPC: 840098116937

Trebella blends a third of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier in a Rhône-like white blend from fruit grown over the sandy gravels of Coyote Bowl Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. The nose is inviting and fresh with a scent of lees while pitching a ripe, lush, peachy apricot palate with some perfectly bitter lime rind in the back end to keep it all balanced. It's full-bodied and fully flavoured but with enough restraint to start at the dinner table. Wine writer Treve Ring says Thai green curries, and I would add squash ravioli or chicken in a lemon cream sauce. Trebella spends eight months in French oak before bottling.

VALUE WINE OF THE WEEK M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc 2021, Côtes du Roussillon, France $16.99 (SP) I 89/100 UPC: 3391180003101

I love the lean, watery texture that brings freshness with notes of citrus, pear, lemon grass, and quince. Almost gulpable, this is a delicious everyday white and at its markdown price, it is a stellar bargain few, if any, of its competitors can beat. The Chapoutier team suggests an apricot tagine of stuffed squid or chicken. Stock up; there is amazing value here. The Blanc is a Roussillon blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Macabeu from vines spread across the limestone, clay, and gneiss in the Agly Valley, as well as granite soils on higher, later ripening sites (at 500 metres).