WINE

WINE France splashes out more on wine than any other country. The French spent $14.1 billion in 1996, equivalent to $242 a head. Although America's wine market, worth $10.5 billion, is the second-biggest, that works out at a mere $40 each. Austrians are just behind the French in their enthusiasm for wine, buying $240 a head. Wine sales in Britain, where beer once ruled, are already the third-highest in the world, and still growing at over 10% a year. Russia and Poland are likely to remain the fastest-growing markets as incomes rise and people develop western spending habits. In contrast, sales in Portugal are falling, albeit from a high level. The Japanese have not yet acquired a taste for wine, spending only $4.50 a head, barely enough for a bottle each.