Italy is set to retain its position as the world's top wine producer, according to the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and research organisation ISMEA. The data was reported by Italian news agency ANSA.
Although Italian production has decreased by 26.1% in 2017, with this year's harvest estimated to be 40 million hectolitres, this figure still exceeds production in Spain (38.4 million hectolitres) and France (37.2 million hectolitres).
The main factors contributing to the decline are this year’s variable and harsh weather conditions, which ranged from extreme heat and drought to late freezes and hail.
Increasing Value
"The decline in production encourages us to work with greater determination to increase the value of our product and our exports," said UIV president Ernesto Abbona.
Abbona added that the average price per litre for wine has recovered in the first few months of the year, but that more improvements need to be made to continue this growth trend.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Francesca Volpe. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
