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Try Not To Panic, But There's Going To Be A Global Wine Shortage

Try Not To Panic, But There's Going To Be A Global Wine Shortage

This is terrible news.

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

I don't want to alarm anyone or be accused of scaremongering but LADs, experts reckon there's a bloody wine shortage on the horizon.

According to CNN, extreme and 'disastrous' weather conditions, including droughts, in European wine-producing countries like France, Italy and Spain has led to low harvest. Which in turn has led to less wine being produced. Which has then led to my tears as I write this.

via GIPHY

The European countries affected are responsible for more than half of the wine produced in the world, and are set to hit 'historic lows' in 2017. Well, haven't we all?

According to the European Commission, this year's harvest will be the worst since 1982, with a drop of 14 percent from 2016.

It's not just European wine producers that have been hit, either. Wildfires tore through California's wine region, which is the fourth biggest producer in the world, according to People.

And the bad news just keeps on coming, because, as yet the damage the fires caused isn't fully known.

Michael Kaiser, vice president of WineAmerica, told CNN: "The real danger is the potential loss of damage to the vines for future years. We are a long way from knowing what that could mean for wineries."

Of course, less wine, means that there's a good chance the prices of wine will be jacked up and if that's the case then I'm going to need to find another drink that has a similar alcohol by volume to price ratio. These truly are dreadful times.

Some wines have already had their prices jacked up by as much as 10 percent, CNN reports.

Stephen Rannekleiv a beverages expert, told CNN that he predicts a 'dramatic decline in wine availability going into 2018' and that wine consumption will be hit the hardest in the 'lower-priced tiers'.

As the shocking news has broken, wine-lovers have flocked to social media to share their grief.




Right on top of Christmas, too. I'm heartbroken.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Wine, News, Europe, Alcohol