Wine prices to rise after extreme weather leads to worst harvest in 50 years

Spring frosts and summer heatwaves in Europe and wildfires in California lead to drop in global output

GLOBAL wine production is set to fall to its lowest level in more than 50 years after poor weather damaged vineyards in western Europe, the world’s largest wine-growing area.

Figures from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) said global output was expected to drop this year to about 247 million hectolitres, down eight per cent from last year. A hectolitre is 100 litres, the equivalent of just over 133 standard bottles. The fall in production is likely to mean a rise in prices to the consumer.

In a report on its estimates for this year, the OIV stated: “Extreme weather events – from frost to drought – significantly impacted 2017 wine production, which was historically low.” The world’s top three wine producing countries – Italy, France and Spain – were all affected. The biggest drop was in Italy, where output is predicted to fall 23 per cent.

The European Commission said earlier this month that the bloc’s wine grape harvest would shrink to a 36-year low because of spring frosts and summer heatwaves.

Britain’s tiny but growing wine industry was not included in the report by the Paris-based organisation, as the UK is not among its 46 member states.

The French agriculture ministry said in August that the sharp drop in production was “mainly attributable to the severe spring frost that affected all the wine-growing regions to varying degrees at a sensitive time for the vine”.

The bitter cold struck twice in a week in France in April, ravaging fragile shoots and buds that had emerged prematurely following mild temperatures in March. There was some solace for France, though, as the hot summer promises to deliver some top vintages.

Outside Europe, the US, the world’s fourth-largest producer, is thought to have held up better, with a one per cent slide, to 23.3 million hectolitres.

However, those figures could change as the forecast was based on US government estimates made before the outbreak of wildfires in California that affected two of the state’s top wine producing areas: the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, the OIV noted.

A six per cent increase in wine production to 13.9 million hectolitres helped Australia to fifth place. It was the nation’s third consecutive annual increase in output. Argentina rebounded from a bad 2016, with output up 25 per cent to 11.8 million hectolitres.

In neighbouring Chile, production slid six per cent from an already low 2016. And in South Africa, production edged up two per cent to 10.8 million hectolitres.

There was no 2017 data available for China, which produced 11.4 million hectolitres in 2016.