Italy Overtakes France as Largest Wine Producer

According to figures released by the European Commission, Italy is the largest wine producer of 2015. Italy produced 13% on top of their previous year while France is down 1%.

Italy’s output was 48.8 million hectolitres while France fell behind slightly with 46.4 million. The main reason for the difference is the favourable weather Italy received this year, giving winemakers an abundance of good quality grapes. Spain currently holds third place.

Sparkling wine is an important part of Italy’s wine industry. Prosecco sales in the UK increased by over 70%, overtaking Champagne to become the nation’s number one bubbly.

The Italian sparkler Ferrari won a prestigious award at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, giving Italian sparkling wine a reputation and sales boost. Franciacorta is also becoming known by experts for it’s high quality, however it hasn’t quite taken off with the public yet due to the higher price tag.