France Remains the Global Leader in Wine Production Despite its Worldwide Decline

The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) has published its first estimates of global wine production in 2023. The volume is expected to be the lowest in 60 years, with France leading the industry, the OIV said in a statement.

Based on data from 29 countries, which produced 94% of the world's wine in 2022, global wine production (excluding juices and must) in 2023 is estimated to range from 241.7 million decalitres (dal) to 246.6 million dal, with an average estimate of 244.1 million dal. This is a 7% decrease compared to the average wine production last year.

The projected production will be the lowest since 1961, when only 214 million dal were produced, and even lower than the historically low production of 2017 - 248 million dal.

The OIV analysis shows a generally low volume of wine production in the European Union. For example, Italy and Spain will see a significant decline in production compared to 2022 due to unfavorable weather conditions. At the same time, France will become the world's largest producer in 2023 with a volume slightly above the five-year average.

The reason for the global decline in wine production is that the Southern Hemisphere has been hit by adverse weather conditions. These included early frosts, heavy rainfall and drought. In particular, winemakers from countries such as Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil were plagued by unfavorable conditions.

"While in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil recorded annual fluctuations of -10% to -30%, in the Northern Hemisphere, Italy, Spain and Greece were the most affected by poor climatic conditions during the growing season," the OIV said.

Favorable climatic conditions were experienced by such countries as the USA, Germany, Portugal and Romania, which allowed them to exceed the average production volumes.

This information is consistent with earlier data, which indicated that this year's wine production in Italy will decline by 12%, falling below 44 million hectolitres due to the negative impact of extreme weather conditions and fungal diseases affecting vineyards. This means that the country will lose its status as the world's largest wine producer, while France will regain the top spot for the first time in nine years.