France remains biggest wine producer

Although the total French wine production fell by two percent in 2010, our southern neighbors remain the world’s largest wine producer, reports the Organisation internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV). Although the final figure is not completely calculated, France will this year produce 44.45 million hectoliters of wine. Globally, this year 260 million hectoliters of wine has been produced, a decrease of four percent compared to 2009. Last year there was also a decline in global wine production of 2.87% over 2008. Austria and Italy recorded the largest decreases in production. The Austrians produced 23% less wine in 2010, whereas the Italian production declined by eleven percent.