ITALY LOSES FIRST PLACE; SO FRANCE IS BACK AT NUMBER ONE IN PRODUCTION. “LE MONDE: FRANCE PRODUCED 49.6 MILLION HECTOLITERS AGAINST ITALY’S 42.2 MILLION. CASTELLUCCI, HEAD OF OIV: “CONSUMPTION IS DOWN BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC CRISIS”

Italy has lost its first place position in wine production to France that is now back to number one. According to global estimates for 2011, provided today by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), to the French newspaper “Le Monde”, in 2011 France produced 49.6 million hectoliters, equivalent to a 9% increase. Italy - with its historic low of 42.2 million hectoliters - lost 13% and therefore goes back to second place. The French newspaper “Le Monde”, which today dedicated an article on the French overtake, cited Federico Castellucci, CEO of OIV, who said Italy had “sad harvests”. The International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) also notes that “globally, consumption has been down due to the economic crisis”.

Focus - Coldiretti says, “but globally more people have been drinking Italian wines than French”
In 2011, more Italian wine was consumed abroad than French and the year-end estimates of “Made in Italy” are 23 million hectoliters, an increase of 15%. The Italian Farmers Association, Coldiretti, also stressed that the French wine production overtake on Italy announced by the newspaper “Le Monde” is due to climatic reasons that, however, have had a positive impact on the quality of Italian production. 

According to global estimates for 2011, provided by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), Coldiretti points out that France produced 49.6 million hectoliters, equivalent to a 9% increase while Italy, with the historic low of 42.2 million hectoliters lost 13% and therefore recedes to second place. The sharp decline in the amount of wine produced in Italy in 2011 was accompanied by an improvement in quality but also - says Coldiretti – a 15% increase in Italian exports. This increase on international markets - says Coldiretti – gives Italy leadership while France remained at 14 million hectoliters of wine exported. In the U.S., Italy - reveals Coldiretti - is the biggest exporter of wine with a quantity that is more than three times the exports from France, which dropped to fifth place after Australia, Argentina and Chile, on the basis of data from the “Italian Wine & Food Institute” regarding the first 5 months of 2011.