World wine production slips

Floods, drought, frost and hail cut into world wine production this year across Europe and South America, but the quality of the 2016 vintage shouldn’t unduly suffer. Italy remained the world’s top producer, with a volume of 48.8 million hectolitres, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine. Overall global production fell five per cent from 2015 levels to 259 million hectolitres, one of the weakest levels of the past 20 years.