Harsh weather hits wine output

But SA, 8th on list of biggest producers, shows 3% increase.

Global wine output fell to its lowest level in 60 years in 2017 due to poor weather conditions in the European Union that slashed production in the bloc, international wine organisation OIV said.

Wine production totalled 250 million hectolitres last year, down 8.6% from 2016, data from the Paris-based International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) released yesterday showed.

It is the lowest level since 1957, when it had fallen to 173.8 million hectolitres, the OIV told Reuters. A hectolitre represents 100 litres, or the equivalent of just over 133 standard 75cl wine bottles.

All top wine producers in the EU were hit by harsh weather last year, which lead to an overall fall in the bloc of 14.6% to 141 million hectolitres.

The OIV’s projections, which exclude juice and must (new wine), put Italian wine production down 17 % at 42.5 million hectolitres, French output down 19% at 36.7 million and Spanish production down 20 % at 32.1 million.

The French government said last year production had hit a record low due to a series of poor weather conditions, including spring frosts, drought and storms that affected most of the main growing regions, including Bordeaux and Champagne.

In contrast, production remained nearly stable in the US, the world’s fourth-largest producer, and China, which has become the world’s seventh-largest wine producer behind Australia and Argentina.

South Africa – eighth on the list of biggest producers – showed a 3% increase.

Trends were mixed in Latin America, with a rise of 25% in Argentina after a very low production in 2016 and a decline of 6% in Chile.

Global wine consumption edged higher at around 243 million hectolitres in 2017, up 1.8% from a year earlier.

The United States confirmed its position as largest world wine consumer with 32.6 million hectolitres, followed by France at 27 million. –