Report on the world vitiviniculture situation

Press Release from The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV)

OIV Director General, Pau Roca, presented the overall report on the wine sector at the 42nd World Congress of Vine and Wine in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 2018 :
• The world’s winegrowing area represents 7.4 mha • Global grape production reaches 78 mt
• Global table grape production is of 27.3 mt
• World wine production (excluding juices and must) is estimated at 292 mhl
• World wine consumption is estimated at 246 mhl
• World trade in wine accounts for 108 mhl in volume and 31 bn EUR in value

Increase in the vineyard area
The size of the global vineyard area (regardless of the final destination of the grapes and including vines not yet in production) in 2018 reached 7.4 mha and is slightly higher than in 2017 (+24 kha).

Spain remains the leading country for area cultivated with 969 kha, ahead of China (875 kha) and France (793 kha). The Chinese winegrowing area continues to increase (+10 kha between 2017 and 2018).

On the other hand, the European Union’s vineyards seem to have curbed their rate of decline and stood at 3,324 kha in 2018 (+10 kha/2017).

Increase in grape production
In 2018, the global production of fresh grapes (grapes intended for all types of use) is almost 78 mt.

Since 2000, the grape production trend has been on the rise (+1% per year), despite the decrease in the vineyard area (-3% over the same period). This is mainly due to a rise in yields, resulting from the continuous improvement of vinicultural techniques.

In China, despite an 11% drop in production in 2018, the country is the world’s leading producer with 11.7 mt (15% of global grape production), followed by Italy (8.6 mt), the USA (6.9 mt), Spain (6.9 mt) and France (5.5 mt).

The top three European producers recorded a 28% increase in production.

Table grape production has doubled in 20 years.

The yield of table grapes reaches 27.3 mt 2018 therefore experienced a decrease of 1.1 mt in comparison with 2017. This decrease in production can be explained by a 10% drop in Chinese production, which represents more than a third of global production.

Nevertheless, with an average annual growth rate of 5%, table grape production has doubled in the last twenty years, contributing significantly to the increase in total grape production over the period.

In 2018, China remains the world’s leading producer (9.5 mt), followed by Turkey (1.9 mt) and India (1.9 mt).

A historical wine production
Global wine production (excluding juices and must) in 2018 is one of the highest since 2000 with a volume of 292 mhl, representing an increase of 17% compared to 2017. It should be remembered that 2017 was marked by very difficult weather conditions that had affected production in many countries.

Italy (54.8 mhl) confirms its position as the leading world producer, followed by France (48.6 mhl) and Spain (44.4 mhl). The level of production in the United States remains high (23.9 mhl).

In South America, production increased significantly: in Argentina (14.5 mhl), in Chile (12.9 mhl). And South Africa (9.5 mhl) suffered an unfavourable drought.

As a result of the drop in the grape yield, wine production in China (9.1 mhl) is in a 2nd year of recession with -22% over the 2017/2018 wine year.

Stabilised wine consumption
The available data show a stabilisation of global consumption in 2018, estimated at around 246 mhl.

Since 2014, the trend has therefore been towards a stabilisationor recovery in consumption in European countries, which have traditionally been consumers, as well as the development of new consumption poles, especially in Asia.

With 33 mhl, the United States confirms its position as the biggest global consumer country since 2011, followed by France (26.8 mhl), Italy (22.4 mhl), Germany (20 mhl) and China (17.9 mhl).