By REUTERS
PARIS - Worldwide wine production is expected to fall this year to its lowest since 2012, chiefly due to adverse weather that sharply cut output in France and South America, wine body OIV estimated on Thursday.Global wine output is set to decrease by 5 percent compared with last year to 259.5 million hectolitres (mhl), one of the three smallest volumes since 2000, the Paris-based International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) said in preliminary estimates for this year.An expected 12 percent drop in French production, to 41.9 mhl, and steep declines in Chile (-21 percent to 10.1 mhl), Argentina (-35 pct to 8.8 mhl) and Brazil (-50 pct to 1.4 mhl) accounted for most of the projected global fall, the OIV said.South Africa was also expected to see a sharp decline in output, losing 19 percent to 9.1 mhl.
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