by Michéle Shah
According to the official Assoenologi report, Italy's 2006 harvest will reach a total quantity of 49.2 million hectolitres. This is down
2.5% on the last harvest, but is in line with the average of the past three years. According to Giuseppe Martelli, managing Director of Assenologi, 2006 is one of the best vintages seen by centre and north Italy over the past five years, with very good to excellent results. The south should also be good thanks to regular and even climatic conditions.
Over the past 15 years, Italy's total vineyard area has decreased by 178,000 hectares, equal to the total of Sicily and Piedmont combined. While Italy produces 17% of world's wines, its national consumption continues to decrease, down to 49 litres per capita in 2006. For the first six months of this year Italy's exports have grown by 12% in volume and 7% in value, while wholesale prices have fallen by an average of 5.5%, reflecting the pressure on the market.
