The final balance for 2011
In 2011 Italy has produced a total of 44.8 million hectoliters of wine and grape wine, marking a decrease of 11,5% compared to the previous year.
The whole South of Italy has suffered a real meltdown in production: one-third less in Abruzzo, over 40% in Calabria, Apulia and Campania -14%, one-fifth less in Molise and Basilicata, same situation in Sicily, where the decrease had already been expected both because of the green harvest practice (activity financed by the European Union to reduce the potential in the vineyards) and the impact of unfavourable weather conditions that hit the island. The situation was bad also in the Centre of Italy, with a meaningful peak in the region of the Marches (-25%).
The more we go northwards the better the situation, if we consider that the region that lastly recorded a heavy decline in production is Emilia Romagna (-8%), while Piedmont, Trentino (only the province of Trento) and Liguria are slightly receding. Lombardy and Friuli registered a positive figure in production, while Veneto is stable, confirming itself at the first place for production in volumes, with 9.5 million hectoliters.
More Dop wine, less Igp
Dop wines (Doc + Docg) are the only ones that keep high their position in production (15.1 million hectoliters, +1%), almost having their upper hand over common wines, mostly produced in the southern regions and dropping of nearly 22%. Sharp drop for the Igp, to 13.7 million hectoliters, stopped a few tenths from 11%, while the varietal wines are showing a fast growth (+29%), but still below the level of the debut years, over 350,000 hectoliters. In 2011, overall, the Italian cake is divided into three almost identical major segments. IGP wines have lost one point percentage in the last four years, common wines have lost 4 points, gained by Dop wines in whose basket has entered the Prosecco Igt in 2009. A further contraction of the sector will be expected next year, when the new “Doc Sicilia” will be traded, with an estimated production of more than 1 million hectoliters.
Source: Corriere Vinicolo on Agea data
Spain, overtaking postponed
Amongst the major European countries certainly surprising is the Spanish figure: the estimates published in the past year gave for granted it would overtake Italy, but the production declarations made by spanish producers and published from Fega show that Iberian wineries have stopped the harvest at 37.2 million hectoliters, which means -7% compared to 2010. A drop to be attributed in particular to the IGP and common wines, whose production volumes are partly shifting towards the varietal category, almost doubled in one year (3.2 million hectoliters) overtaking the geographical indications (8, 5% share compared to 8% of “Vinos de la tierra”).
In France the crop was positive, over 50 million hectoliters (+11%), witnessing the extraordinary performance of vins de cépage which have been included in the “Vin de France”: +63% compared to 2010, against a “weak” +15% of the Igp wines and +7% of Aop. These numbers are set to grow during this year, with possibilities of downgrading, considered that in 2011 amongst the French wines the varietietals have exported almost one million hectoliters.
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