THE ADVANCE OF WHITE WINES AND EXCESS PRODUCTION
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE CHANGE IN WINE CONSUMPTION FROM RED TO WHITE AND THE NEED TO RECONVERT WHICH ESPECIALLY CONCERNS TUSCANY, THE LAND OF SANGIOVESE
By Donatella Cinelli Colombini #winedestination
San_Gimignano e vigne di vernaccia
The ISMEA 2024 wine sheet is an excellent observation point and helps us frame the Italian situation in the global scenario. On the planet, wine consumption fell from 246 million hectolitres in 2018 to 232 in 2022 while production, net of the 2018 big harvest and the 2023 slide, remained almost stable at 252 million hectolitres. What has changed is the colour: in the last 5 years the production of white wines has gone from 55% to 57.7% of the total. So the excess production is red in colour and this explains the massive clearing of vineyards in the less reputed areas of Bordeaux and the rumours of similar measures also in Spain.
One wonders whether these interventions will be enough to save the fall in prices, given the continuous increase in production in the areas without European regulations and production costs. I’m thinking of Chile, Argentina or China.