2023 Wine Vintage Report

🏆 Was 2023 a Good Wine Vintage Year?

2023 was a mixed year, with challenging weather conditions but often high-quality results.

In the northern hemisphere, Europe was frazzled by erratic weather, with some regions of France doing the best, as well as Germany and Austria. Italy, Spain, and other regions had much tougher years. In the US, California and the west coast had excellent, promising wines.

In the southern hemisphere, South America had a year full of drought and wildfires, but Argentina and Chile likely produced good wine anyway. Australia pulled through despite wet weather, New Zealand pulled through despite a cyclone, and South Africa pulled through despite extra fungal pressure.

Old World regions faced more pressures this year, and had a rougher go of it. The New World was still weather-beaten, but managed to overcome the challenges a little better.

Let’s dig in to 2023.

📈 Global Wine Trends in 2023

🌍🍇 Global wine production in 2023 was 258 million hectoliters, up 3.2% from 2022.

🌎🍷 Global wine consumption in 2023 was 221 million hectoliters, down 2.6% from 2022.

🌐 The 2023 Vintage by Country

📍 The Big Four

France, Italy, Spain, and the US consistently dominate the modern global wine scene.

FRANCE produced 47.9 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. Early in the season, mild winter conditions gave way to an erratic spring, with frost, rain, and fluctuating temperatures keeping growers on edge. Despite the rocky start, many regions enjoyed successful flowering and promising yields as temperatures rose. Summer brought warmth and occasional heatwaves, alongside bouts of rain that created humid conditions, elevating disease pressure. Cool nights helped preserve acidity and aromatics, and though some areas grappled with drought stress, others balanced challenges with well-timed rains. The harvest across France was generally early, with regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne seeing ideal conditions for picking by late summer and early autumn.

• BORDEAUX showed promise despite challenges like mildew, heatwaves, and late-season drought. Whites and reds were harvested in good weather, preserving aromatics and balance, with reds like Cabernet Sauvignon expected to excel.
• BURGUNDY faced storms and hail but produced an abundant vintage. Both reds and whites showed great ripeness and depth; Chardonnay and Pinot Noir benefited from summer warmth, resulting in opulent, vibrant wines.
• BEAUJOLAIS mirrored Burgundy’s experience, with ripe and bright Gamay wines promising early enjoyment.
• CHAMPAGNE experienced variable summer weather, but Chardonnay particularly excelled, especially in the Côte des Blancs. Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir had more mixed results.
• THE LOIRE VALLEY saw a mixed vintage with high disease pressure. However, standout Chenin Blancs, Sauvignon Blancs, and fruit-forward Cabernet Francs emerged.

ITALY had its smallest harvest since at least 1947–only 38.3 million hectoliters. This small harvest put it back down to being the second-highest wine producing country in the world, after it had previously held the title from France since 2015. Terrible weather and climate conditions also led to major outbreaks of downy mildew, especially in the Adriatic ridge areas. Some vineyards were nearly completely compromised. There was massive rainfall, floods, hailstones, and drought, leaving many in Italy to wonder how they’ll adapt to the larger oncoming effects of climate change. This may be a tough year to buy from.

SPAIN produced 28.4 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. It was a challenging year, with a dry winter, frosty spring, and a humid early summer with lots of disease pressure. A heatwave in August pushed the harvest dates up, and September rains complicated things further. Cooler, higher-altitude regions performed best, and Rías Baixas likely produced some good Albariños. Toro and Ribera del Duero produced solid reds, and although Rioja was affected by the heat, it still delivered high quality results too.

THE UNITED STATES produced 24.3 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

• CALIFORNIA had a long, steady growing season, beginning with a wet winter and spring, and a mild, consistent summer. Ripening was even and healthy, and wines across the state are expected to be vibrant and well-balanced. In Napa, it looks to be even more exceptional, with Cabernet Sauvignon showing excellent complex tannic structure and elegant fruit notes. It’s also a good year for aromatic Napa whites.
• WASHINGTON STATE had a much smaller-than-average yield this year, but vintners expect the wines to be of excellent quality. A cool spring led into a warm summer, but with enough variation to ensure great growth. A moderate autumn lengthened the growing season.
• OREGON had a challenging year, but one that will likely produce high-quality wines. Various droughts and wildfire impacts threatened vineyards across the state this year, but a warm season ending in a warm and dry October resulted in vibrant wines, especially Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Syrahs.
• NEW YORK STATE had an early bud break, but was damaged by late frosts and heavy spring rains. A warm, dry later season helped save the crop, though, and the Finger Lakes region put out some great whites.

📍 Europe

The heart of the wine world, Europe boasts centuries of expertise and massive variety.

PORTUGAL produced 7.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. Early-year rainstorms and snow helped replenish the soil after a very dry 2022. Late frosts in April damaged some vines, and an intense summer heat pushed ripening ahead of schedule. Early harvests brought concentrated grapes, especially reds, while hail interfered with later harvests. Wine this year should be rich, ripe, and plush. For Port, it was all about adaptation to climate extremes. Diligent vineyard management allowed many producers to grow high-quality fruit. It’s too early for a general declaration, but it’s expected to be very good.

GERMANY produced 8.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. It’s a promising year, despite variable and challenging weather conditions. Mild winter and spring conditions provided ample rainfall and healthy flowering, despite reports of isolated frosts here and there. Summer came early, with dry, warm conditions. As the season progressed, heavy rains arrived, bringing hydration but also increased disease pressure. But rain gave way to sunny days and cool nights, and the harvest was smooth, preserving acidity and aroma in grapes. Early reports note rich fruity notes in Pinot Gris and Riesling, and Spätburgunder with vibrant red bramble flavor. Riesling, Silvaner, and Spätburgunder are the likely standouts.

AUSTRIA produced 2.4 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. Turbulent weather, including a dry winter, irregular rainfall, and severe storms, plagued the year. But it ultimately ended up delivering some promising wines. A delayed budbreak spared vines from late frost damage. Varying spring and summer rains caused regional variations in vineyard health. July’s heat helped to encourage ripening, but more rain in the late season required careful selection to avoid rot. Styria recorded its lowest yields since 2016. A sunny and warm harvest helped balance out the year. It should be a good enough year for balanced and structured whites (especially Grüner Veltliner and Riesling) and reds (especially Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt). It was also a successful year for producing sweet wines, including Eiswein.

 Switzerland produced 1.0 million hectoliter of wine in 2023.

Hungary produced 2.4 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Greece produced 1.4 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Czechia produced 0.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Slovakia produced 0.3 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Slovenia produced 0.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Croatia produced 0.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Georgia produced 1.9 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Romania produced 4.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Moldova produced 1.8 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Russia produced 4.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Bulgaria produced 0.7 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Luxembourg produced 0.1 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Cyprus produced 0.1 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 THE UNITED KINGDOM produced about 157,500 hectoliters of wine in 2023. This was a crazy-high yield year, shattering the already crazy-high record that 2018 set with 98k hectoliters and becoming the highest year in the history of British viticulture. Ideal flowering conditions in June gave way to a wet, cool July and August, but it got warm again in September and October and saved the year’s harvest. Acidity levels this year were notably lower than average, which impacted sparkling wines. However, the overall quality of the vintage was great.

📍 North & South America

The Americas continue to expand their influence, from the rugged Andes to Canada’s icy valleys.

ARGENTINA produced 8.8 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. Persistent drought conditions, exacerbated by La Niña, led into a dry winter with polar influences. Devastating spring frosts in October and November heavily impacted yields in Mendoza and Patagonia. But spring turned into one of the hottest and driest summers in years, ripening grapes quickly and leading to an early harvest. High-altitude vineyards, like Salta, enjoyed significant night-to-day temperature variations, leading to great acidity and aromatics in their wines. White varieties across the country are expected to be fresh and vibrant. Reds also show excellent potential and high concentration, though the year may be “quality over quantity” overall.

CHILE produced 11.0 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. It was an extreme and challenging year. A cold, wet winter replenished water reserves, but the subsequent cool spring delayed budburst. A scorching summer–one of the hottest in decades–led to devastating wildfires that ravaged vineyards in Maule, Itata, and Bío-Bío. Surviving fruit came with a major risk of smoke taint. Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère from Maipo, and Syrah and Malbec from Colchagua, show some potential. Coastal regions also produced good whites. Despite the fires, the wines that were produced are expected to be good.

 Brazil produced 3.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

 Uruguay produced 0.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

📍 Oceania

Oceania’s unique climates and soils produce globally distinctive wines.

AUSTRALIA produced 9.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. It was a challenging year, with a cooler-than-average La Niña growing season and persistent wet weather that reduced yields and increased pressures from rot and disease. Although Australia was in need of some rain at first, too much of it–as well as some frost impact–did not do the grapes any favors. It was a good year for whites in cool climate regions, but the year overall didn’t produce much bad wine. Quite the opposite, this year promises some elegant, aromatic wines of very good quality, despite the reduced production volume.

NEW ZEALAND produced 3.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. This year was marked by Cyclone Gabrielle, which brought devastating wind and rain across the North Island especially, impacting regions like Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. The South Island fared better, with Marlborough doing the best it could. Even though it was a tumultuous year, the vintage does still show promise.

📍 Africa & Asia

Emerging markets in Africa and Asia bring fresh perspectives to the industry.

SOUTH AFRICA produced 9.3 million hectoliters of wine in 2023. It was a challenging year, starting with a warm, dry winter and leading into a cool, wet summer. Persistent fungal pressure plagued the growing season. Reds may be more variable this year due to these challenges, but whites show a lot of promise, especially from Stellenbosch and Swartland. Better reds may be more likely to come from Paarl and Walker Bay.

China produced 3.2 million hectoliters of wine in 2023.

Sources: OIV, Rome Business School, Advisor, Wine-Searcher, Vin-X, Washington Wine, Oregon Wine, Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, Jancis Robinson (2), Napa Vintners, Austrian Wine, English Wine.

🍷 Wines from 2023 I’ve Tried

See all Vintages (Years) of Wine, or jump straight to: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, or 2024. See also: No Vintage.