Erratic weather in Europe to increase wine prices

New Delhi, Drought, frost and hail have damaged the grape crop in major wine producing countries, France and Italy this year. This has affected the harvest of grapes in Europe up to an extent that the output is expected to be smallest in half a century. This erratic weather has hit the crop hard.

The wine producing regions of Champagne and Burgundy have seen hail that fell during the summer months and frost during the springs that have led to the damage to the grape harvest. In Italy too, drought conditions over most of the summer months not only troubled the grape crop but also caused wildfires.

Europe accounts for 62 percent of the total wine made in the world. This suffering of the grape harvest in the hands of weather is likely to affect over 2.5 million families who are dependent on the wine harvest for a living.