Is France the biggest wine producing country ? Which countries are on the production podium ? Discover it with the reference blog on wine Beaux-Vins…
The year 2018 was marked by a significant increase in wine production. According to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), this is an increase of 14,5% with 292 million hectoliters. Italy confirms its rank of leading producer ahead of France.
2019, an average wine production
After two extreme years, world wine production in 2019 is expected to return to an average level. World wine production is estimated between 258 to 267 million hectoliters according to the OIV. A decline of 10% compared to last year. The declines are mainly concentrated in Europe and South America.
In 2018, winemakers have reached new heights ! World production reached a record level close to 2004 with 292,3 million hectoliters up 14,5 %, according to Pau Roca, director general of the OIV. This situation is all the more remarkable as the vineyard has continued to decline since 2004. He stabilized that year.
The division of the world vineyard
Half of the vineyard is owned by only five of them. Spain comes first, followed by China, France, Italy and Turkey. Italy has particularly increased its vineyard in 2018, monopolizing for its almost exclusive profit the right granted by the European Commission to increase community plantations of 1%.
China, 2nd largest vineyard in the world, continues to grow. However, the country's wine production fell again. The latter fell from 20% in 2018 after having already decreased by 12% in 2017. The OIV does not explain this paradox, but remember that 85% from the vineyard of the Middle Empire is used for table grapes. Consumption of the country, as for her, has fallen by nearly 7% to stop at 18 million hectoliters. Result, exporters paid a high price. Bordeaux, for example, saw his business decrease by 22% in value in 2018.
World wine production is declining in 2016. Feedback on wine production for this year…
According to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), world wine production has fallen by 5% last year, to 259 million hectoliters. These poor performances contribute to the decline in world wine production in 2016. In 2016, the weather was very bad in many producing countries, but France shows one of the most marked declines in volume (-3,5%).
This level of production is one of the lowest in twenty years. However, rest assured : the volume stored remains higher than world consumption !
A European trio always winning
Italy confirms its leadership position (48,8 Miohl), followed by France (41,9 Miohl), and by Spain (37,8 Miohl).
It should be noted that Italy is widening the gap with France thanks to a drop in production of only 2% compared to 2015. France takes a slap with a drop of 12% of its production caused by rather bad weather : rainy spring, episodes of hail and frost, as well as drought. Spain is doing quite well with an increase in production of almost 1%.
Huge variations in ranking
The weather has taken its toll in many producing countries. Some emerge as winners, like Romania, which after two bad harvests has returned to a good level of production with 4,9 Miohl (+37%).
Conversely, of countries have seen a significant drop in their production. In South America, production has been strongly impacted by climatic events : Argentina recorded a sharp drop in production with 8,8 Miohl vinified in 2016 (-35% compared to 2015) ; Chili (10,1 Miohl) back off 21% compared to 2015. Finally Brazil, has a production of 1,4 Miohl (i.e. a significant drop of 50% compared to 2015).
Quantity does not mean quality
We must not forget that France remains the country which best values its wine. Even with low production, France manages to do well thanks to the known and recognized quality of its wines. In 2015, these export sales were at their highest with 11,7 Billions of Euro's. This amount represents a superb contribution to the surplus of the French trade balance of 10,4 Billions of Euro's.
To find all the data : OIV
Confirming the trend observed in early October 2015 by the European Commission, the OIV, based in Paris, publishes annual data on wine production. The vintage 2015 is estimated at 275,7 Miohl, an increase of 2 %. The year 2014 was weak in the face of 2013, therefore this increase remains to be put into perspective.
European trio dominate the standings
Italy seems to regain its place of leading producer ahead of France. Italy thanks to favorable conditions recorded an increase of 10 % of its production - provisional - of wine compared to 2014. With its 48,86 Miohl, it is ahead of France, which is expected to produce no less than 47,37 Miohl, which corresponds to an increase of only 1%.
In third place, we find Spain who had managed to sneak in 2013 in the leading duo. Its production level, down from 4%, returned to more usual production volumes with 36,6 Miohl.
Non-European countries follow
After this European top trio, we find countries a little further away with the United States, which has maintained a high level of production since 3 years with 22 Miohl, Argentina, which tumbles flatly with a drop of 12% of product volume thus painfully reaching the 13,4 Miohl, followed very closely by Chile which explodes the meters with an increase - worthy of Chinese growth - of 23% ! That to say, a production of 12,87 Miohl then comes Australia with 12 Miohl.
Source: The lightning east |
The French remain first in the rosé classification
Rosé wines, for which the OIV is proposing a focus this year, representing no less than 24,3 Miohl either 9,6% of world production. Four countries share 80% from production - Pareto are you there ? — : France, Spain, the United States and Italy. And there, France retains its position as an undisputed leader with 7,6 Miohl, followed by - if we can put it that way - Italy which represents only 2,5 Miohl. The rosé market has known since 10 years a rise in production of 16% and the consumption of 20%. – beware of the shortage this summer —
In fact, this quantitative ranking does not really make sense and should not be viewed with a negative eye. Low production is often synonymous with good quality and a great vintage - it's like in everything, "A lot" does not mean better —. Only two countries have set performance limits : France and Italy. France has a lower yield than Italy, since our beautiful country has an average yield of 58 hl per hectare while Italy is at 68 hl per hectare.
Let us recall the words of the Château Margaux winemaker concerning the yield :
"The yield of the vines, expressed by their production (kilos of grapes or hectoliters of wine) per hectare, is a key factor in the quality of grapes. Too much harvest never matures, because the vines are unnecessarily exhausted from feeding too many grapes at once. To protect the quality of the wines and the longevity of the vines, the Margaux appellation has set a limit which is generally the most restrictive in the Medoc area. "
Jean-Nicolas Mouretin
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