Global wine production slumped to its lowest level in more than 50 years in 2017 after vines in the world’s top three producers – France, Spain and Italy – were ravaged by both freakishly hot and cold weather. “We’ll start to see those [2017] wines coming to the market now and I think for higher volume, lower price wine you will see cost increases,” says Dan Jago, chief executive of high end wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd. Photograph: AlamyThe International Organisation of Vine and Wine estimates global wine production dropped 8% to 247m hectolitres in 2017 – the worst global harvest since 1961. Last month the Bordeaux wine council said production in what is France’s largest wine growing region was down 40% with vineyards in Saint-Émilion worst affected by the severe frost. Last year alone Britons got through 81.7m bottles of pinot grigio and 85m bottles of prosecco at home.

Source: The Guardian March 09, 2018 16:35 UTC