This year’s expected global wine production is estimated to have fallen by -4% compared to 2020 (which was already below-average) and is 7% lower than its 20-year average, according to the OIV. This is the result of unfavourable climatic conditions that severely impacted the major wine-producing countries in Europe this year.
Based on the information collected on 28 countries, which represented 85% of global production in 2020, global wine production (excluding juices and musts) for 2021 is estimated between 247.1m and 253.5m hectolitres (mhl), with a mid-range estimate at 250.3mhl.
The extremely low 2021 wine production is only slightly above the historically small production of 2017. The Southern Hemisphere and the US seem to be exceptions in this overall negative scenario and tend to balance the fall of volume seen in the EU. This is the third consecutive year that global wine production is below-average.
In the EU, low production volume was anticipated, notably in Italy, Spain and France, which together lost about 22mhl due, with respect to 2020, to late spring frost and overall unfavourable climatic conditions. The only large EU wine-producing countries that recorded harvests larger than in 2020 are Germany, Portugal, Romania and Hungary.
Preliminary forecasts in the US indicate production volumes above those of 2020, with the estimate for 2021 wine production being 24.1mhl. This figure is 6% higher compared to last year, which was characterised by a relatively low harvest due to wildfires and smoke taint. However, production is expected to be 3% lower than its five-year average, which can partially be attributed to drought-like conditions during the summer in certain wine regions.
It was a very positive year for Southern Hemisphere vineyards, where relatively favourable climatic conditions led to record-high production levels in the regions/countries of South America, South Africa and Australia, with New Zealand being the only exception.
