It is the historical minimum in almost 30 years
Global wine consumption fell last year to its lowest level since 1996, with production falling 10%, after the world’s worst grape harvest in 62 years, reveals a new report from the Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV)of which Spain is a member.
While the rising cost of living has had a dent in consumer trends, OIV experts, who monitor trade, They blame “extreme” climate changes of the general fall, collects the Daily Mail.
According to this organization, “extreme environmental conditions,” including droughts, fires and other climate problems, were primarily driving the trend and the biggest threat to the industry.
Two major wine producers, Australia and Italy, suffered the worst, with productivity drops of 26 and 23% respectively. Another bad news for winemakers is that customers drank 3% less wine in 2023according to this intergovernmental organization based in Dijon, France.
Director John Barker highlighted “the drought, extreme heat and fires, as well as heavy rains causing flooding and fungal diseases in the main wine-producing regions of the northern and southern hemisphere.
Although he stated that climate problems are not the only culprits for the drastic drop, “the most important challenge facing the sector It’s climate change.”
“We know that the vine, as a long-lived plant that is grown in often vulnerable areas, isand is strongly affected due to climate change,” Baker added.
France bucked the downward trend in the harvest, with a 4% increase, making it by far the largest wine producer in the world. For its part, Spain lost more than a fifth of its production and harvests in Chile and South Africa decreased by more than 10%.
However, wine consumption last year reached its lowest level since 1996, confirming a decline over the past five years. The trend is partly due to price increases caused by inflation and a sharp drop in wine consumption in China (a quarter) due to its economic slowdown.
The Portuguese, French and Italians They remain the largest wine drinkers per capita in the world.
Barker said the underlying decline in consumption is being “driven by demographic and lifestyle changes”. But given the very complicated influences on global demand at the moment, it is difficult to know whether the decline will continue.
“What is clear is that inflation is the factor dominant affecting demand in 2023″, he claimed.
