Italian wine production in 2018 is expected to experience 15% growth when compared with last year, with production set to grow from 42.5 million hectolitres to 49 million hectolitres.
This figure is in line with the average of the last few years, according to data published by ISMEA and the Italian Wine Union (UIV).
ISMEA director general, Raffaele Borriello said that the recent increase should allow Italy to recover from last year’s drop in production.
Reduction In Export
Lower product availability in 2017 and a substantial increase in prices in the first five months of 2018 resulted in a 10% reduction in the volume of Italian wine exported all over the world.
Italian wine exports to Germany and the UK dropped, and France surpassed Italy as the top exporter to the US.
ISMEA believes that the increase in production in 2018 will have a positive impact on Italian wine exports, with the prospect of exceeding €6 billion by the end of the year.
Future Trends
The estimates for 2019 range from a minimum of 48 million hectolitres to a maximum of 50 million hectolitres.
If confirmed, Italy would continue to lead world wine production despite notable increases in production estimated for France (46.1 million hl) and Spain (43 million hl).
The bizarre climate that alternated between frosts, rains, and humidity affected the vineyards of Southern Italy the most, and reduced the optimistic expectations at the beginning of 2018.
However, the quality of grapes depends on the period immediately preceding the harvest, as it plays an important role in the ripening and attaining the required sugar level.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
