2015 Wine Vintage Report

🏆 Was 2015 a Good Wine Vintage Year?

The 2015 vintage was globally exceptional, with many regions producing some of their best wines in years.

In the northern hemisphere, Europe had an absolutely incredible year. France saw a fantastic vintage across nearly all regions, Italy’s vintage was legendary, Spain produced exceptionally vibrant wines, and Germany, Austria, and others had great years too. The US also had a great season; despite a smaller harvest in California, the wines were great.

In the southern hemisphere, South America struggled. Argentina did not have a great year, though Chile and Uruguay did okay. Australia and New Zealand did well. South Africa had a particularly dreamy vintage.

New World producers like California, South Africa, and New Zealand put up good fights, but this year, the Old World regions shone with a brilliance that couldn’t be beat.

Let’s dig in to the wonderful 2015 vintage.

📈 Global Wine Trends in 2015

🌍🍇 Global wine production in 2015 was 275 million hectoliters, up 2.1% from 2014.

🌎🍷 Global wine consumption in 2015 was 241 million hectoliters, up 0.4% from 2014. The US drank the most wine (20.9 mhl), followed by France (27.3 mhl), Italy (21.4 mhl), Germany (19.6 mhl), China (16.2 mhl), the UK (12.7 mhl), Argentina (10.3 mhl), and Spain (10.0 mhl).

🌐 The 2015 Vintage by Country

📍 The Big Four

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

FRANCE produced 47.0 million hectoliters of wine in 2015, widely considered to be of excellent quality. Many producers called it one of their best in years. A hot, dry summer gave way to well-timed rains, allowing for balance and ripeness. While some areas were affected by drought and heat, this was a great year overall.

• BORDEAUX had an absolute classic year, producing some of the best wines in recent memory.
• SAUTERNES had a great year, maintaining its reputation for excellence.
• BURGUNDY excelled with its reds, though its whites were slightly overshadowed.
• CHAMPAGNE had a great year, producing high-quality sparkling wines.
• ALSACE enjoyed a great year, delivering consistently excellent wines.
• THE LOIRE VALLEY faced challenges with Muscadet and Gamay but excelled with Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
• THE NORTHERN RHÔNE had an absolute classic year, with near-perfect conditions.
• THE SOUTHERN RHÔNE had a great year, though wines were potentially more alcoholic than usual.
• PROVENCE also had a great year, producing excellent wines with slightly elevated alcohol levels.

ITALY had a legendary year, starting a multi-year span as the top wine producing country with 48.8 million hectoliters produced, and having one of its absolute best vintages. A cold winter led into a rainy spring led into one of the hottest summers ever. Reds this year are bold and fruit-forward, fresh and exciting. With a large harvest of exceptional grapes, it’s tough to go wrong with an Italian 2015.

SPAIN produced 37.0 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. A dry spring turned into an extremely hot and dry summer. While Rioja got some good rain in June, many vineyards in the south did not. Older vineyards and indigenous grapes fared best, although it was a bad year for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero. A cool August and September allowed for a smooth harvest. Rioja was the winner of this year.

THE UNITED STATES produced 21.7 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

• CALIFORNIA had much lower yields than usual, contributing to the USA’s lower wine production this year. This was thanks to drought and heat, as well as cold snaps during flowering. Wildfires impacted Lake County, but most other regions avoided fire impact. The grapes that were harvested this year were highly concentrated and robust, including vibrant Cabernet Sauvignons out of Napa, structured reds out of Paso Robles, and explosive Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays out of Sonoma County. The limited yield may make prices for this year rise.
• WASHINGTON STATE had their hottest year yet–the state’s warmest vintage ever, even after the last two years were extra-warm too. Harvest began historically early, and the heat led to a particularly singular and interesting vintage.
• OREGON had an exceptionally warm growing season with early bud break and rapid ripening, leading to one of the earliest harvests on record. While the hot, dry conditions reduced yields in some areas, the grapes produced were concentrated and balanced, leading to dark, rich reds with good tannic structure, and very good ripe whites.
• NEW YORK STATE had a cold winter, but a warm spring and dry summer, which set the stage for an outstanding harvest in the Finger Lakes. You can expect a fresh and ripe batch of wine that even surpasses 2014’s great vintage.

📍 Europe

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

PORTUGAL produced 7.0 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. A wet start to the growing season helped balance otherwise very dry conditions, including the hottest summer of the last 36 years and the hottest June of the last 50. However, vintners pulled through across the country with an excellent harvest, especially Touriga Franca. Regions like the Douro and Dão produced highly-structured red wines with low acidity. It was a promising year for Port, with many houses producing high-quality wines despite the challenges. It wasn’t a universally declared year, but several key producers like Taylor’s, Quinta do Noval, and Niepoort released Vintage Ports.

GERMANY produced 8.8 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. It was a great year, especially after the last few years of sub-par conditions. A warm, frost-free spring and a hot, dry summer pushed ripeness levels high, and drought concerns were alleviated by September rains. Cool nights preserved acidity in grapes, allowing for structured and age-worthy wines. Riesling dominated with a great balance of sugar and acidity, while Spätburgunder brought richness and depth. Occasional overripeness was noted, but likely won’t be a major issue. The Mosel and Rheingau stood out for high-quality performance. 2015 is a great vintage for German wine.

AUSTRIA produced 2.3 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. It was a banner year, delivering excellent wines across the board with only a few early-season challenges. A mild spring led to a vibrant budburst and flowering, but major summer heatwaves stressed younger vines quite a bit. Just as drought concerns peaked, August rains revitalized vineyards, and the rest of the season featured sunny days and cool nights, ideal for balanced ripeness and acidity. The harvest was easy, with minimal disease pressure and a touch of noble rot for sweet wines. The resulting whites, particularly Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, featured concentrated fruit and unique varietal expression. The reds, particularly Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, and Pinot Noir, featured richness, depth, and velvety tannins. 2015 was a great vintage for Austria.

Hungary produced 2.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

 Greece produced 2.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

 Georgia produced 1.2 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

 Romania produced 3.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

 Moldova produced 1.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

 Russia produced 5.6 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

 THE UNITED KINGDOM produced about 33,750 hectoliters of wine in 2015. A cool spring led to a late budbreak, and the weather continued into a cool summer, slowing the ripening process considerably. It stayed cool through autumn, which panicked growers of late-harvest varieties. It finally warmed up in October, leading to a healthy yield of mostly good grapes. Overall, the year produced some good wines, especially whites.

📍 North & South America

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

ARGENTINA produced 13.4 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. It has been called a “write 0ff” year due to El Niño. An unusually warm and rainy growing season led to high humidity and high levels of rot and mildew. Many regions were affected, including Mendoza. Hailstorms further reduced yields, and volcanic ash from a Chilean eruption caused issues for Patagonian producers. Early-ripening varieties and whites performed better, while reds like Cabernet Sauvignon were heavily impacted by rot. It was a pretty rough year for Argentina.

CHILE produced 12.9 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. A warm growing season created ripe, fruit-forward wines with high concentration, if low acidity. Late March rains offered a reprieve from the warm weather, especially in the Central Valley, where moisture helped balance out sugar levels. Coastal regions like Casablanca fared well, as did bush vines in Itata, Maule, and Bío Bío. A good year for powerful Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

 Brazil produced 2.7 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

URUGUAY had some rainfall between December and January, but had a clear season after that. The country produced fresh whites and highly-concentrated reds.

📍 Oceania

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

AUSTRALIA produced 11.9 million hectoliters of wine in 2015, which is on the lower end for the country, but not too big of a dip. Yields were lowered due to frost and wildfires. However, the quality of the grapes was outstanding. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignons out of South Australia were standouts, and Victoria produced a variety of good grapes. Western Australia faced cold and gusty springs that helped concentrate Riesling and Shiraz, but may have lowered the quality of Cabernet Sauvignons produced here. Overall, though, Australia had a quality year.

NEW ZEALAND produced 2.3 million hectoliters of wine in 2015, a particularly small harvest due to spring frosts and poor flowering conditions, but high in quality. The North Island (including Hawkes Bay and Gisborne) faced challenges including Cyclone Pam in March, but still produced promising reds thanks to a warm and dry summer. The South Island (including Marlborough and Central Otago) had a dry summer and an early harvest, resulting in clean and expressive whites. It was a good year for Martinborough especially.

📍 Africa & Asia

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

SOUTH AFRICA produced 11.2 million hectoliters of wine in 2015. It was one of the best in recent memory, a “dream vintage,” thanks to dry and cool conditions leading to well-balanced ripening. The dry conditions did lead to some irrigation pressures and isolated wildfires, which were less than ideal, but most vineyards produced uniformly high-quality grapes. Highlights include Chenin Blanc in Stellenbosch and Rhône varieties in Swartland.

China produced 11.5 million hectoliters of wine in 2015.

Sources: OIV, Italian Feelings, Decanter, Wine-Searcher, Wine Spectator, Vintage Wine & Port, Washington Wine, Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, Jancis Robinson (2), K&L Wines, Oregon Wine, Napa Vintners, South America Wine Guide, Austrian Wine.

🍷 Wines from 2015 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.