Britain remains the world's biggest consumer of Burgundy, according to the latest figures.

The data from the Burgundy Wine Board and the Hospices de Beaune indicates that British oenophiles enjoy 13.5 million bottles of Burgundy annually, the Independent reports.

This is nearly twice as much Burgundy as is drunk by those in the US (7.3 million bottles annually), which makes second place on the list.

In France, it seems people are drinking less wine in general, with 45 per cent of the population drinking wine occasionally, compared to the 17 per cent who consume it regularly.

However, Chinese enthusiasm for Burgundy is clearly growing. The publication notes that it is now the 14th largest export market for Burgundy, and will soon be the 12th largest.

Bloomberg recently reported that wine merchants in Burgundy are growing dispirited by Chinese enthusiasm for the region's produce, reasoning that it is driving prices too high.

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