Italy overtakes France in wine production
(AGI) Rome, Oct 7 - Italy has overtaken France to become theworld's leading wine producer, producing an estimated 48.9million hectolitres a year, said Coldiretti, the farmers'association. The study, based on European Commission data,reports a 1 per cent fall in French grape harvests, withproduction estimated at 46.6 million hectolitres. Spain is inthird place with 36.6 million hectolitres, down 5 per cent.Italy benefited from favourable weather, which guaranteedoptimum ripening, to the extent that several regions described2015 as a historic year for quantity and quality. Frenchregions such as Beaujolais (down 25 percent) and