PARIS (Reuters) -Global wine production rose slightly in 2025, but output remained below average for a third consecutive year as vineyards faced extreme and volatile weather, the International Organization of Vine and Wine said.

In first estimates, the OIV pegged worldwide wine output at 232 million hectolitres (mhl) this year, up 3% from 2024 but still 7% below the five-year average.

"If you look at the causes for the lower production of the last three years, the major part is really the climatic variations that we've seen across both hemispheres," OIV Director General John Barker told Reuters.

"Some regions have had heat and drought, and then they've had torrential rains or unexpected frosts. And the fact that it's really the third year in a row where we're seeing these sorts of effects is quite striking."

In Europe, France recorded its smallest harvest since 1957 and Spain's output fell to a 30-year low, while Italy regained its position as the world's top producer with an 8% rise in output, helped by favourable weather conditions.

The U.S., the world's fourth-largest wine producer, is expected to produce 21.7 mhl of wine, up 3% from 2024, though well below historical peaks and 9% below the five-year average.

Production in the Southern Hemisphere rebounded 7% after falling for three consecutive years, led by South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, offsetting declines in Chile, but output remained 5% below average, OIV said.

Limited growth in global wine production was expected to help stabilise inventories amid sluggish demand in mature markets, falling consumption in China and continued uncertainty in global trade, Barker said.

"Low output can be very difficult for individual producers and regions ... but from a macroeconomic perspective, it's a positive, because it really makes sure that production and consumption are more or less aligned," Barker said.

The OIV is due to update its estimates later this year. A hectolitre is the equivalent of 133 standard wine bottles.