(Businesspos) - China has come from nowhere to overtake traditional wine countries in terms of land area under vine. So just what is going on in the Far East?

If you fancy some crystal ball-gazing into the world of wine, it’s worth keeping up with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The intergovernmental organisation, which regulates the science of viticulture, oenology and the wine economy, also releases an annual report on what’s coming down the pipeline in world wine.

The OIV report for 2015 confirms that Spain is the country with the largest surface area under vine. In terms of volume of wine produced, Italy is in the top slot, France is in second place and Spain is third. However, for the second time since 2014, the report has shown that the country with the second-largest surface area under vine is neither France nor Italy . . . but China.