While the leading trio of world wine producers – traditionally made up of Italy, Spain and France – remains the same from year to year, the three champions just regularly reversing their places, this year France regains a place compared to last year and is positioned on the 2nd step of the podium.
According to initial estimates by Copa-Cogeca (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations of the European Union and General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives, former General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation of the European Union), the production of wine by the world's three leading producers is expected to increase slightly in 2022.
Italy, France and Spain should indeed produce 130.2 million hectoliters of wine (+1%). However, it should be remembered that the 2021 vintage had precisely been marked by a historic frost which had greatly reduced production and therefore, despite this slight increase, 2022 production will remain below the five-year average (-2% compared to the average over 2017-2021).
Italy, France and Spain
Since 2015 and again this year, Italy has maintained its position as the world's leading wine producer and its 2022 production should reach around 50 million hl. Then comes France, with a harvest estimated at 44 million hl (+16% compared to 2021). Conversely, Spain lost one place and found itself on the 3rd step of the podium with a production of 35 million hl (-10%). The country has indeed suffered from the heat wave and the drought and the severe lack of water.
The three European vineyards experienced early harvests of two to three weeks, all experiencing droughts and heat waves of varying intensity. Let’s end on a positive note regarding the quality of the 2022 vintage: it promises to be excellent, with, logically, good maturities.