OIV, International Organisation Of Vine And Wine, presented recently preliminary figures for the world’s wine production in 2017. “As expected,” said director general Jean-Marie Aurand, “the production has been affected by the extreme heat and the drought in France, Spain and Italy”.
Italy has produced the biggest volume with 39.3 million hectolitres. A normal harvest in Italy would be around 50 million hectolitres. France is second with 36.7 million hl, 19% lower than 2016. Spain is in third place with 33.5 million hl, 15% down from 2016. (Earlier estimates pointed to third place for France.)
Portugal, the wine countries of Eastern Europe and South Africa, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand are all showing normal volumes. But with small volumes in the world’s three largest wine countries, the world production is, of course, affected. Preliminary figure for the world wine production 2017 is 246.7 million hectolitres, down from 268.8 million hl in 2016.
There should be no lack of wine in the world though. For one thing, the big wine countries have stocks. In France alone there are 54 million hectolitres (equating to about one year’s production).
