Punctual, according to the indicated calendar, the second forecast of official harvest (Agreste) in France confirms that the French country should close its production in 2022/2023 with 16% more wine than in the previous weak campaign.

 

Thus, it maintains an estimate, with data as of September 1, of 43,959,000 hectolitres, which is, in turn, 3% higher than the average of the five-year period 2017-2021. All this despite the fact that the drought is limiting the volumes of wine production in some regions.

After the low harvest of 2021, reduced (just 37.8 Mhl), as readers will remember, by a serious episode of spring frosts, French production will recover and return to medium levels.

By wine categories, most of the new 2022 wine in France will be destined for one of the A.O.P.s (equivalent to the D.O.P.s), with a forecast of 20.34 million hectolitres and a frank recovery (+27%), compared to the previous year. Next, wines with I.G.P., for which an increase of 21% is expected to a production close to 12.3 million hectolitres.

The harvest destined to wines for spirits and spirits will be the only one that presents reduced in their estimates. Agreste forecasts that this category should not exceed 8.6 million hectolitres, with 10% less than in 2021 (but within volumes that can be considered average).

While, the category of “other wines”, with 2.8 Mhl estimated presents increases of 30% over the previous year (but, in this case, 7% below the recent five-year average).

 

In many regions, the 2022 harvest has begun early, sometimes significantly. “This situation is similar to that already observed in 2003”, says the French statistical and prospective department.

This year, the spring frosts, followed by hail, mainly affected the vineyards of the southwest and Charentes. Lack of rainfall from spring and high summer temperatures also reduced projected volumes in several regions. However, after the very low harvest of 2021, production is expected to increase again throughout the year in almost all wine-producing areas.

The Languedoc-Roussillon, the first producing region, should harvest about 12.1 Mhl with a clear recovery in volumes (+25%), followed by Charentes (8.87 Mhl, -8%), Sud-Est (5.65 Mhl, +18%) and Bordelais (estimated 4.61 Mhl, +12%). The greatest relative increases are expected in Champagne (+96%), the Jura (+227%) and Bourgogne-Beaujolais (+46%).

 

SOURCE: SEVI.NET