Global Wine Production Hits a 60-Year Low: Weather Woes Take a Toll

The world of wine is facing a tough time as the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) reports the lowest production since 1961. The numbers, dropping by seven percent to 244.1 million hectolitres this year, are blamed on extreme weather such as frost, heavy rain, and drought, wreaking havoc on vineyards worldwide.

Big players like Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and Brazil saw their wine output nosedive by 10 to 30 percent because of this year’s bad weather. Italy, the world’s largest producer, lost its crown with a 12% decrease, letting France once again take the honour. France's production managed to stay steady despite the global challenges. Spain, holding onto its third-place spot globally, saw a 14% dip in production, a whopping 19% less than its usual output over the past five years.

In the midst of this gloom, there is a silver lining. The OIV suggests that the lower wine production might actually help balance out a market that's struggling with less demand and too much wine in storage.

But while the OIV points fingers at extreme weather, they're not definitively saying it's because of climate change. Inaki Garcia de Cortazar-Atauri, a specialist at the French research institute INRAE, thinks the mess in Italy is more about farmed land not soaking up water as well as natural soil.

Even though they're not shouting "climate change" just yet, Garcia de Cortazar-Atauri does admit that extreme weather events, like heatwaves and heavy rain, are happening more often. So, as the wine industry deals with these challenges, the big question is: how will climate-related issues keep messing with the world's wine production?