The International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) revealed at a press conference in Paris that total wine output is likely to reach 259.5 million hectolitres (mhl) in 2016, a five-percent drop compared to the previous year.
European countries are expected to remain among the top wine producers, with Italy in the lead, and France and Spain right behind, but in those countries a certain decline in output is anticipated. A sharp 12% drop is predicted for France, although it will keep its position in the top three, with 41.9 million hectolitres.
Environmental scientists believe that climate change is the primary reason behind the low wine output. According to a recent report by the Earth Institute at Columbia University, warming temperatures significantly pushed forward grape-harvest periods globally
"Across the world, scientists have found that each degree centigrade of warming pushes grape harvests forward roughly six or seven days," the report said.
Wine production is not declining everywhere, however. In Australia, the world's fifth-largest producer, output is expected to increase by 5% — to 12.5 million hectoliters. New Zealand is also expected to increase, by a surprising 35%. Despite that, the forecast for 2016 ranks among the three lowest since 2000, according to OIV calculations.
