Wine prices to increase in Spain following 20% drop in harvest thanks to soaring temperatures

SPAIN’S production of wine for 2017 was down 20% compared to the year before, figures have shown.

The agriculture ministry has reported the total production of wine and must in the current 2017/18 vintage stands at 35.6 million hectolitres compares eith 44 million in 2016 – a 19.6% drop.

Overall, production in 2017 is 19.6% lower than the previous season and 17.6% lower than the average of the previous six seasons.

“The declarations confirm, therefore, a campaign of relatively low production, which, together with the also low productions of the main producing countries of the community, has supposed a price increase in the wine market,” a statement from the ministry said.

The latest figures follow what has been a challenging year for producers throughout Europe, with with late spring frosts, widespread drought and a heatwave affecting large swathes of France, Spain and Italy.

It comes after the European Commission in October said it expected European production to be at a 36-year low with figures predicting at the time that Italy would suffer a 23% drop, France 19% and Spanish production 15%.

The latest figures from Spain ministry of agriculture, however, push that estimate to 19.6%.