Italy is set to regain its place as the world’s largest wine producer, overtaking France

After a disastrous 2023 harvest, Italy’s output will rebound by eight percent to between 41 million and 42 million hectoliters, the country’s main agricultural association, Coldiretti, said on Wednesday.

The French agriculture ministry had forecast earlier this month that French production would fall by 18 percent to 39.3 million hectoliters. Coldiretti noted that this year’s production in Italy remains well below the average of recent years as different parts of the country deal with either heavy rains or drought.

Since 2007, Italy has been the world’s top producer every year except for 2011, 2014 and 2023, when it was overtaken by France, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).

Coldiretti said Italy was “split in two”, with the north hit by “heavy rain and hail in the spring and early summer”, while large parts of the south and Sicily faced drought.

The heat and lack of rain have led to particularly early harvests in some parts of the country.

In France, the steepest decline is expected in the eastern Jura mountain range, where frost and mildew are expected to lead to a 71% drop in production.

In terms of volume, the biggest drop will be in the western Charente region, where production will drop by 35%.

Production is expected to drop by 30% in the Loire Valley and by a quarter in the Burgundy-Beaujolais area, which was hit by heavy hail.