Paris, November 07, 2023, 10:46 AM – The International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) announced on Tuesday that global wine production for the year has plummeted to its lowest level since 1961, primarily due to a series of extreme weather events adversely affecting vineyards worldwide.
According to the OIV’s initial estimates, the total wine production this year amounted to 244.1 million hectoliters, marking a 7% decrease from the previous year. The organization, responsible for supplying data to both grape and wine-producing and consuming nations, emphasized the significant impact of extreme climatic conditions such as early frost, heavy rainfall, and prolonged drought on global wine output.
Numerous major wine-producing countries in the southern hemisphere have borne the brunt of this decline in production. Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and Brazil all experienced substantial reductions in output, ranging from 10% to 30%.
Notably, Italy, which had long held the title of the world’s top wine producer, saw its production decrease by 12%, enabling France to reclaim the leading position as its own production remained stable. Spain maintained its standing as the third-largest wine producer globally, despite a 14% reduction in production, which marked a 19% drop from its five-year average.
Despite the challenges, the wine industry might find a silver lining in this situation. The lowered production levels could potentially alleviate the existing market imbalance. The OIV noted that in a scenario where global wine consumption is on the decline and wine stocks are abundant in various regions worldwide, the reduced production could contribute to rebalancing the global market.
While the OIV mentions extreme weather events as a factor influencing wine production, a definitive link to climate change has not been established. According to Inaki Garcia de Cortazar-Atauri, a specialist at the French national agronomical research institute INRAE focusing on climate change’s impact on agriculture, the damage experienced in Italy can be attributed to the inability of farmed land to absorb water effectively, compared to natural soil.
Nonetheless, Garcia de Cortazar-Atauri noted that “one can observe that extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent,” with heatwaves and heavy rain periods affecting various regions and compounding existing issues such as mildew.
In conclusion, the wine industry faces a challenging year marked by a substantial decline in production due to adverse weather conditions. While it remains uncertain whether climate change is the primary driver behind these events, the sector hopes to find equilibrium in a world market characterized by diminishing demand and high wine stocks.
