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Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has driven up the prices of wine bottles and glasses massively and worldwide. Italian vintners report to winebusiness.com magazine that bottle prices rose by about 20 percent in April - and by another 22 percent in August. In addition, there are massive supply problems.
The glass industry is one of the hardest hit by the loss of cheap Russian gas. In Europe, there are currently 162 glass factories in 23 countries that have to run continuously - and most of them run on gas. This is because the glass furnaces cannot be switched off, otherwise the molten glass would solidify and destroy the machines. And energy prices have risen up to 15-fold since the invasion.
As a result, Italian wine industry associations are currently warning of a glass shortage in the coming weeks that could amount to between 150,000 and 200,000 tonnes For example, the Federvini association said that the availability of bottles between December 2022 and January 2023 would not be enough to cover exports abroad.
"When we ask for 15,000 bottles, suppliers say they can deliver 3,000 bottles - and that they will only deliver when they can," said Italian winemaker Pier Sfriso from Treviso, for example. "Prices have risen brutally," confirmed Richard Grosche, managing director of the Wegeler wineries in the Rheingau and Moselle. His bottles have become 26 per cent more expensive on average. In addition, many suppliers charge an energy surcharge. Half bottles and heavier bottles are currently no longer available.
The energy crisis is also affecting the production of glassware. According to Maximilian Riedel, CEO of the Austrian glass manufacturer Riedel, prestige glasses remain largely unaffected by the high gas prices. "In Austria, our melting furnaces are heated with electricity and that is where we produce our handmade goods," he told winebusiness.com. But they only accounted for about 10 per cent of sales. Riedel's machine-made glasses are produced with gas in Germany, he said. "We may have to temporarily increase our prices to cover the extra costs," Maximilian Riedel said.
Another major problem, he said, is international logistics: prices per container have come down from their Covid high of $25,000, but are currently still $10,000. This is three times the cost before the pandemic.
(uka - Source: weinebusiness.com - Photo: 123rf.com)