Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias Castilla-La Mancha took stock of the harvest campaign in the region, with a production of just over 23 million hectoliters of wine and must, which represents the average of the last five seasons . Given the very low initial stocks, a balanced availability scenario is now emerging despite the threat posed by the drop in global wine consumption and the current geopolitical situation, as the Cooperatives explain in a press release.
On the other hand, the main associated cooperative wineries in the region, which bring together more than 75% of the wine production of Castile-La Mancha, confirmed during the sectoral meeting the high production of grape must in the current campaign: approximately five million hectoliters.
Heat and dry weather were the predominant trend, not only in the wine-growing areas of Castile-La Mancha, but also in practically the rest of Spain until September 20, which favored the low proliferation of diseases fungal infections and the good health of the grapes until almost the end of the harvest.
The current harvest campaign in Castile-La Mancha will increase the harvest by almost six million hectoliters of wine and must more than the previous year, which was a low harvest compared to the regional average. The production of 23 million in the region will represent more or less 60% of the national total, which will be around 39 million.
Regarding the first production forecasts in European countries, in France there will be a significant drop (-18%), with 39.3 million hectoliters in total, with phytosanitary problems in the center and the north and a drought in the Languedoc-Rousillon.
In Italy, a harvest of 41 million hectoliters is expected, just three million more than in 2023, the smallest harvest in recent history. In Italy, they also experienced problems with cryptogamic diseases in the center and north of the country and a severe drought in the southernmost regions (mainly Sicily and Puglia). The same as in Portugal (-8%), with 0.5 million hectoliters less, and in Austria (-15%) with 0.3 million hectoliters less.
In conclusion, the Cooperatives predict that the world market will return to a desired balance never known since the 2017/18 campaign, correcting stocks and, therefore, maintaining the dynamics with which the 2023/24 campaign ended, that is to say by maintaining the quotes for all processed products (whatever their color), without any reason for nervousness in the face of commercial prospects considered favorable.
