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According to initial estimates by the organisations Assoenologi, Ismea and the wine association Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), less than the average 50 million hectolitres of wine will be produced in Italy this year. The reason for this is downy mildew, which has caused considerable damage in several regions of Italy. The fungal disease has mainly affected growing areas of the Adriatic mountain ridge, primarily vineyards in Abruzzo and Molise. Losses of up to 40 percent are expected there. But many appellations in the Marche, Basilicata and Apulia are also expecting production declines of 25-30 percent. The situation is also difficult in Umbria, Lazio and Sicily, as well as in Tuscany. Organic winegrowers are more affected than others.
The decline in production is a problem for many wineries, but it comes at a time when stocks are massively high. In many appellations, yields per hectare for the coming harvest have been regulated and lowered anyway. Crisis distillation is also a recurring theme in the Italian wine industry.
"Downy mildew cannot solve the problem of the stocks," said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the Unione Italiana Vini. "A disease cannot fix a weakness in the system. If we should have a production of less than the usual 50 million hectolitres this year, it will be due to a parasite. But the problem of overproduction is an aspect that viticulture policy should address more decisively," Frescobaldi added.
French winegrowers are also currently suffering massively from downy mildew infestation. According to estimates of the associations, for example, about 55 percent of the vines in the Bordelais are infested.
(ru / Source: Winenews)