'Very High Quality' Vintage Predicted for 2015 Wines in Europe

Wine growers in the Europe have suggested that the European vintage for 2015 should be of a very high quality after a year marked by clement weather and successful harvests. Thierry Coste, a French wine grower who heads the wine group within Copa-Cogeca, the main European farm union, said, "This year we have the opportunity to be able to present a vintage of very high quality. The climate was particularly suitable for winegrowing throughout Europe, with warm temperatures in July, followed by cooler ones as the grapes matured. It is rare to see such clement weather across the continent."

Production also increased in 2015 with France recording 47.7 million hectoliters while Italy, now the world's top producer, accounted for 50.3 million hectoliters. Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria and Portugal also recorded strong production increases.

Italy's Palma Esposito, vice president of the wine working group in the union, said, "We had very few diseases. In July, drought conditions required emergency irrigation and increased production costs."

Some regions of Spain were also affected by the drought and saw production decline 5.3%. A Spanish winegrower said, "However, the quality is much higher, with one of the best qualities of grape in these last 15 years. Spain is likely to produce 42 million hectoliters this year."

Source-AFP