
Italy will once again take the top spot
The 2023 harvest in leading wine country France is expected to be 39.3 million hectolitres, up 18% from the previous year, APA said.
According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Italy has been the world's leading wine producer every year since 2007, with the exceptions of 2011, 2014 and 2023, when it was overtaken by France.
According to the Coldiretti association, this year's production in Italy is still significantly below the average of previous years. Winemakers have suffered from heavy rain or drought. The country has been divided in two, while the north was hit by heavy rain and hail in spring and early summer, the southern part of the Italian mainland and Sicily have had to struggle with drought.
Huge drop in wine production in France
According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, a huge 71% drop in harvests is expected in the eastern part of the Jura due to frost and mould.
In terms of volume, the decline is likely to be greatest in the western Charente region, where the harvest is expected to be 35% smaller than last year. The ministry is forecasting 30% less wine to be produced in the Loire Valley and 25% less wine in the Burgundy-Beaujolais region.
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