France ranks world champion for growth in wine production in 2022

n 2022, world wine production will total around 259.9 million hectolitres, according to the latest estimates released by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The volume is virtually on a par with 2021, which stood at 262 million hl according to the latest forecasts, which have yet to be finalised. Marked by extreme weather events, the 2022 vintage witnessed both significant increases and decreases in production at regional level.

Posting the strongest growth in relation to 2021, with an increase of 6.6 million hl and 17% in a year, France will harvest 42.4 million hl this year. After the historic frost of 2021, adverse weather in 2022 weighed heavily on crop potential, with vineyards subjected to spring frosts, hailstorms and drought over the summer. When the small crops of 2017 and 2021 (respectively 36.4 and 37.6 million hl) are taken into account, average French wine production over five years falls to 42.4 million hl.

Italy, the world's leading wine producer, showed no change at 50.3 million hl (+0.1% in a year). Spain dropped to 33 million hl (-6% due to water stress), and after suffering early frosts and summer drought, the United States was down to 23.1 million hl (-4%). In the Southern Hemisphere, the trend is also downward, but for different reasons. The rainy summer and decision to leave fruit on the vine due to excess inventories caused Australia to drop to 12.4 million hl (-7%), whilst in Chile, drought brought production down to 12.1 million hl (-18%). All of this confirms that climate change is disrupting harvests on all five continents.