Drinking wine is getting increasingly popular, notably among millennials. According to some accounts, that generation now imbibes half of all the wine consumed in this country. The California wine industry alone sold over $34 billion worth of wine last year.
But this year is turning out to be a rough year for vintners around the world. Largely as a result of extreme weather – both hot and cold – in leading wine-producing countries such as France and Italy, 2017 will see the worst wine grape harvest in over 50 years. According to the International Organization of Vine and Wine industry group, global production of wine is forecast to be down by 8% this year.
Other wine-producing countries such as Spain and Germany have also seen historic lows this year. Interestingly, some places have done well, including the U.S. However, the industry data only includes data through August, which was before the fires that destroyed tens of thousands of acres across Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties in California.
In all, estimates are that there will be almost 3 billion fewer bottles of wine corked this year.
Analysts have been anticipating drastic changes in the global wine industry due to climate change for quite some time. Most experts believe that the shifting climate will ultimately create both winners and losers in the wine industry. Vineyard owners are developing strategies to cope with the changes. One article predicts that the warming climate would actually benefit France’s wine sector. But that was not the story this year.
This year, there will be many losers, including consumers who are likely to have to pay higher prices for wine in the coming months.
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Climate Volatility Pushes Global Wine Production to a 50-Year Low
Photo, posted December 31, 2007, courtesy of Jeff Kubina via Flickr.
‘Wine and the Changing Climate’ from Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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