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-liter cases (1.87 billion bottles) of red wine in 2013, according to new 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.

The total marks a 136% increase from five years ago and surpasses France's 150 million cases and Italy's 141 million cases of red wine consumed in the same year. What's more, red wine consumption in China almost tripled between 2007 and 2013, while it decreased 18% in France and 5.8% in Italy.

Still, on a per capita basis, wine consumption in China remains far lower than the other two. China drank 1.5 liters per person in 2013, far less than the 51.9-liter average in France, the study showed.

The vast majority of wine consumed in China – 83%, according to the study – was produced domestically. The country is now the world's sixth-largest wine producer, with Ningxia and Shandong provinces developing as the country's main areas for viticulture. Wines from those regions have also started to appear on shelves in the West.

Despite its new title as the world's top red-wine drinker, China's overall wine consumption – including red, white, rose and sparkling – actually dipped by 2% in 2013, though it increased by 27% between 2007 and 2013.

The Vinexpo/IWSR study didn't account for China's overall decrease in wine consumption, but major wine and liquor brands have said their sales in the country have fallen in recent times due to the government crackdown on luxury gift-giving and excessive spending.

China's fixation on wine remains squarely focused on one type: red. Chinese drinkers have long believed red wine aids their health, and also associate it with good fortune since red is considered a lucky color. In recent years, red wine has emerged as a popular alternative to baijiu, a pungent grain-based liquor, at Chinese business banquets.

Because of this preference for red, other types of wine, and in particular bubbly, have been overlooked in China. A previous Vinexpo/IWSR study showed that in 2011, just 0.05% of the wines drunk in China were sparkling. Meanwhile, 7% of wines consumed globally that year contained bubbles.

Thanks to the broader American palate, the U.S. still holds the mantle as the world's top drinker of wines of all types, including white, rose and sparkling. In 2012, the country drank 333 million cases overall, with France, Italy and the U.K ranking behind it. China sat in fifth place, drinking 181 million cases – mostly red.

Follow WSJ Asia on Twitter @WSJAsia.