China tops red-wine consumption, but red tape hampers trade CHINA overtook France and Italy last year as the world's largest consumer of red wine, a new study finds. The country, including the wine hub of Hong Kong, consumed 155 million nine-litre cases (1.87 billion bottles) of red wine in 2013, according to research released this week. The report was commissioned by Vinexpo, a Bordeaux-based wine industry conference, and conducted by the International Wine & Spirit Research, an independent research firm for the liquor trade.