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In a first estimate, the European Commission assumes a smaller wine harvest than in 2022. Production is expected to be around 161 million hectolitres. This is three percent less than in the previous year and two percent less than the European five-year average. Especially the two large producing countries Spain and Italy are recording significant losses this year due to fungal infestation and extreme drought. Italy expects losses of about 15 per cent and 42 million hectolitres, Spain only 36 million hectolitres. With an estimated 45 million hectolitres, France leads the production statistics in 2023 despite all the difficulties.
The lower harvest volumes should not be too much of a problem for the wine industry, however, because the sales worries of many European appellations continue. Besides France, Spain and Hungary, crisis distillation is also being discussed in Italy, Portugal and Germany.
(ru / winzer.at)