The French are reclaiming their "throne" in winemaking.

(Baonghean) - In 2014, France returned to the top spot in the world wine-producing countries ranking. France had been overtaken by Italy in 2012, but this year Italy was pushed down to second place, and Spain finished third in the world rankings.

2014 was a turbulent year for the world's leading wine producers.

According to statistics released on Thursday, October 23rd, by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), France produced a total of 4.62 trillion liters of wine, a 10% increase compared to 2013. Meanwhile, Italy's total production this year was 4.44 trillion liters, a 15% decrease from last year. Spain, which had a spectacular breakthrough in 2013, only managed to produce 3.7 trillion liters this year. Once again, the unpredictable weather brought surprises – good news for France and less fortunate for its two neighbors. Eastern European wine-growing regions such as Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia suffered particularly poor harvests this year. Germany, on the other hand, had a bumper year, producing 970 million liters of wine, a 16% increase.

Outside of the Old Continent, the country that had a successful year was none other than the United States – finishing 4th in the world's wine-producing nations. The OIV (Olympic Council of Wine Industries) emphasizes that the US being at the top in this volatile sector is quite rare. However, for the past three years, the US has consistently had successful harvests. Despite the earthquake in California last August and unfavorable weather conditions in September, total US production is still expected to reach 2.25 trillion liters by the end of the year.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, after setting records for two consecutive years, has seen its production drop to 1 trillion liters. Conversely, wine production increased in South Africa, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. The OIV currently lacks information on China's 2014 production figures. However, with its 2013 figure of 1,200 million liters, China ranks eighth on the list.

In 2014, global production is projected to decrease by 6%, to 27.1 trillion liters. However, this is not a cause for concern, as such fluctuations are entirely normal in this volatile sector, especially after 2013 when total production reached 28.76 trillion liters. Consumption remains relatively stable, projected to reach 24.3 trillion liters this year.

However, total production isn't all that the French care about. The country is also known as the world's best wine producer, and the quality of the wine influences its export value. In 2013, all the wines from Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Beaujolais, Cotes de Rhone, Val-de-Loire, Alsace, and French champagnes generated €7.8 billion in export value. In 2014, the first quarter's wine export value was estimated by the Federation of Wine Exporters at €3.3 billion.

Thuc Anh(According to Le Monde)