Looking back at 1989, the most recent year for which complete statistics of world wine production and trade are available, it turned out to be mostly a normal year. Production was up slightly, due mainly to recovery in Spain and Portugal from the disastrous mildew-affected 1988 harvest and to a record crop in Germany. Trade was about 6% larger, with Western Europe getting most of the gains and Eastern Europe dropping slightly.
These are the highlights of the world statistical summary recently issued by the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Rome. The report, one of FAO's lesser annual commodity reviews, again suffered in timing and analytical detail because of continuing budget stringencies occasioned by the failure of the U.S. (the largest contributor) to pay its dues on time. For several years the U. S., despite promises to the contrary, has been a year or more in arrears with its assessments.
Table 1 lists the major producers, with 1988 comparisons. While the figures are essentially final for Western Europe and the United States, which together account for the major share (70%) of world production, reporting lags in Eastern Europe and the southern hemisphere countries (spring 1990 harvest) make the world total of 7,440 million gallons preliminary.
The lineup by volume, with Italy and France far out in front, was still the historical ranking, except that Portugal got back into the top ten. West Germany's production of 346 million gallons, 30% above its long-time average of about 270 million gallons, not only strained storage facilities but also unleashed a fierce and continuing national debate over "excessive" yields and proposed limits for the top appellations.
The figures for 1989 and recent years also reflect the gradual recovery of Russia's production base from President Gorbachev's well-intentioned but unrealistic anti-alcohol campaign, initiated shortly after he came to power. Attempting to curb widespread drunkenness, he not only cut back vodka production but likewise bulldozed thousands of acres of vineyards. As with American Prohibition, illegal distilling and rising crime rates finally forced abandonment of the program. But, even with official restrictions lifted, recreation of bearing acreage is a slow process. By 1989, Russian production was back to about 60% of its 1981-85 average.
Table 2 lists the main exporting and importing countries. The overall increase in trade was 6%, most of it in bulk wine. Portugal, a normally self-sufficient high consumption country which had a crop failure the previous year, accounted for over half of the increase and Russia for most of the rest. Shipments to the major importing countries were either static or down. A combination of inflation and skyrocketing prices for the prestigious appellations pushed the value of exports to a new record of slightly over $7 billion, with France taking in half of that total.
Consumption in most countries mirrored the situation in the United States good business for top quality wines, discouraging times for ordinary and "jug" wines, and altogether a slight decline. The major exception was Russia, as legal supplies recovered from the aborted anti-alcohol campaign. Japan's uptrending consumption makes headlines, but wine drinking is still not part of its culture; annual per capita intake is still less than one liter.
Wine consumption is highest, not surprisingly, in the major producing countries of Europe and South America, and in Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. The United States, which declined to 8.4 liters per head in 1989, is far down the list. And the industry's answer, except for a few brave individuals, is to wring its hands and blame the Neos.
(William F. Doering is a retired wine trade specialist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.)
Table 1
WORLD WINE PRODUCTION,
1988 AND 1989(1)
(millions of gallons)
Country 1989 1988
Italy 1,598 1,672
France 1,538 1,495
Spain 766 639
U. S. S. R. 502 470
Argentina 473 608
U. S. 411 477
W. Germany 346 264
Romania 264 264
S. Africa 251 248
Portugal 203 92
WORLD TOTAL 7,440 7,408
(1) All data approximate
Source: All Food and Agriculture Organization
(data converted from hectoliters to U. S. gallons)
Table 2
WORLD WINE EXPORTS AND IMPORTS,
1988 AND 1989(1)
(millions of gallons)
Exports
Country 1989 1988
Italy 391 367
France 349 349
Spain 135 122
W. Germany 77 74
Hungary 61 55
Bulgaria 48 55
Portugal 42 42
Greece 37 11
Yugoslavia 24 26
Algeria 24 11
WORLD TOTAL 1,287 1,218
Imports
Country 1989 1988
W. Germany 233 243
U. K. 177 177
France 153 148
U.S. 76 81
U. S. S. R. 61 42
Netherlands 61 58
Belgium-Lux. 58 61
E. Germany 53 53
Switzerland 53 50
Portugal 48 11
Canada 40 37
WORLD TOTAL 1,249 1,184
(1) All data approximate
Source.- Food and Agriculture Organization
(data converted from hectoliters to U.S. gallons)
STIMSON LANE ACQUIRED
SNOQUALMIE WINERY
Stimson Lane Wine & Spirits of Washington State currently owns Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Conn Creek and Villa Mt. Eden in California, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Whidbeys Greenbank Farm and Jefferson Wine & Spirits, an importing company.
Stimson Lane obtained the winery, bottled and unbottled wine inventories, grape contracts and all trademarks; no purchase price was disclosed.
Snoqualmie also owned the Franz Wilhelm Langguth Winery in Mattawa, Wash. With the acquisition of Snoqualmie - and Langguth - Stimson's winery storage capacity now exceeds seven million gallons
GERMANS ON TOUR TO
PROMOTE GREAT RHINE,
MOSEL WINES IN U.S.
Seven leading German wine producers held tastings in six cities in March to promote both the wines and author Stuart Pigott's new book, "Great Wines of the Rhine & Mosel: 88/'89." Pigott accompanied the group, which began the tour March 4 in New York.
Other appearances were in Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles; the final visit was March 11 in San Francisco. The book is Pigott's second on German wines. His first, "Life Beyond Liebfraumilch," was published in 1988.
The 18th Annual Mainzer Weinborse, national wine trade fair organized by the Association of German Pradikat and Quality Wine Estates was held last month in Mainz. More than 700 wines from 70 member estates were available for tasting and purchase.
