Thursday, November 4th, 2021
Frost, rain and hailstorms
Extreme weather spoils wine production
Wines from France or Italy could be scarce this year. Heavy hail, frost and rain lead to a measly harvest. In the forecast, this means low wine production worldwide.
Extremely low global wine production is expected this year, expected to be below average for the third consecutive year. As the International Organization for Vine and Wine (OIV) announced, low production volumes are expected in the EU, especially in Italy, Spain and France, which is due to late frost and an unfavorable climate.
The only major wine-producing countries in the European Union likely to have higher harvests than in 2020 are Germany, Portugal, Romania and Hungary. The first harvest forecasts in the US indicated production volumes slightly above those of 2020, said the OIV. There was also a very positive year for wine producers in the countries of South America, South Africa and Australia, with New Zealand being the only exception.
According to an average estimate, worldwide wine production of 250.3 million hectoliters is expected. This would be seven percent below the average for the past 20 years. In the EU, Italy remains the number one wine producer with an expected 44.5 million hectoliters, followed by Spain in second place with an expected 35.0 million hectoliters.
For the first time since the data was collected by the international wine-growing organization, France only ranks third among the largest wine producers. Heavy frost in spring, rain in summer and hailstorms led to a catastrophic grape harvest there with an expected production of 34.2 million hectoliters, a decrease of 27 percent compared to 2020. In Germany, the fourth largest European producer country, wine production is estimated at 8.8 million hectoliters, four percent more than in the previous year.