Inflation has taken its toll on wine consumption and sales in 2023, according to John Barker, director of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
Speaking during a recent online media briefing, Barker pointed out that extreme climatic conditions, such as early frost, heavy rains and drought, coupled with widespread fungal diseases, severely impacted many vineyards worldwide.
This culminated in overall production dropping by ', compared with 2022, to 237 million hectolitres in 2023, making it the smallest harvest since 1961.
Production in the EU in 2023 was estimated at 144,5 million hectolitres, representing a 10,6% decrease compared with 2022, making it the second-lowest production volume recorded since the beginning of the century, only behind 2017's output of 141 million hectolitres. Outside Europe, Chinese production declined by 33% to 3,2…