(ETX Daily Up) – While sparkling wines are the new tastes of consumers in Europe but also around the world, their production on the old continent is being undermined by global warming. In 2023, their production and export declined by 8%.
This is the category of wine that has been doing well for several years: bubbles. If the new alcohol-free challengers are trying to seduce with effervescent recipes, it is certainly no coincidence. As recalled by an in-depth study by FranceAgrimer last July, the consumption of sparkling wine has increased by 58% in the space of twenty years, in a context of decline in production but also in wine consumption on a global scale. worldwide.
An underlying trend which can be explained by the democratization of bubbles, which are no longer only associated with end-of-year celebrations, if not with major celebrations such as weddings. This is especially the case in the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary and Russia. A sparkling success which can be measured just by looking at the export figures: these have exploded by 169% between 2002 and 2022 to represent 14.4 million hectoliters. In 80% of cases, it is sparkling.
But could this taste for excitement be undermined by global warming? Because in 2024, weather conditions have not spared European vineyards, the main suppliers of sparkling wines. Episodes of drought, but also sometimes devastating heavy rains, certain terroirs have been put to the test. A 2024 vintage which has weakened the bubble-producing areas even though the results recorded in 2023 already suggest a drop in production of around 8%, according to Eurostat, the statistics office of the European Union.
In 2023, Europe will produce almost 1.5 billion liters of sparkling wine. Italy being the main source, with the production of prosecco and its many other sparkling wines. The boot actually released 638 million liters of sparkling wines, compared to 312 million French bubbles. Prosecco unsurprisingly represents the most exported European sparkling wine, at around 266 million liters. Champagne only comes in third position (91 million liters), behind sparkling wine (100 million liters). Spanish cava is far behind, with 60 million liters produced.
Swiss
