First positive balance for the 2018 vintage – Wine

Despite the bad weather of the last few days that created problems, the 2018 harvest is essentially over on a positive balance, with production of about 50 million hectoliters, up 16% from compared to 2017. 310,000 committed farms and nearly 46,000 winemaking companies on a vineyard area of ​​652 thousand hectares. This is Coldiretti's first budget, out of a collection that now exceeds 90% of the total.

The result, Coldiretti observes, "is practically the average of the last ten years" and "guarantees Italy the world record ahead of France, with a production of about 46 million hectoliters, and Spain, up to second place with 47 million hectoliters Positive balance also in terms of quality, with more than 70% of production for DOCG, DOC and IGT wines: 332 wines with appellation of origin controlled (DOC), 73 for wines with controlled origin and guarantee designation (Docg) and 118 of typical geographical indication (Igt) recognized in Italy.The remaining 30% of the production are intended for table wines.

Italian wine, he notes, also celebrates this year's record export record, with a 4% increase in the first seven months of 2018 compared to the same period of the previous year. The best results were sparkling wines (13% more than in 2017). According to Coldiretti's Ismea data, the trend in domestic consumption has been positive, as purchases of wines and sparkling wines increased 4.5% in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. .

"In this context – observes Coldiretti – the reductions in the prices at the source of the wines are unjustified, even taking into account the stocks and the increase of the internal and external demand". The sales turnover for wine sales, the rating concludes, is $ 10.6 billion and the wine sector offers total employment opportunities to 1.3 million people.