in Italy, the shortage of glass bottles affects producers

With five million tons of glass bottles produced each year, Italy is the leading producer in Europe. The consumption is however such that the giant chains are not enough. 20% more bottles must be imported from Ukraine and Russia. This year, they will be missing. The shortage is already there, according to the president of the glass producers. “Because of the war in Ukraine, five giant ovens have been shut down, and it is part of this production that we are missing”explains Marco Ravazi, president of the Italian glass companies.

For Valpolicella (Italy), it’s a blow. The harvest has begun on the territory, renowned for its great wines. Spring and summer were very sunny, and the region avoided hail. The vintage promises to be superb, but the concern for a shortage of glass puts the vineyards in competition. Riccardo Manara, winemaker, needs 150,000 bottles, but has no certainty, even buying twice the price. Failing to bottle a vintage is tantamount to throwing away part of the harvest. Unthinkable for its neighbor, the Masi house, a historic castle. Here, the needs are enormous: 12 million bottles. The red wines are great vintages, and the management is ready to buy the whole market, whatever the price. If the large vineyards are delivered as a priority, the smaller ones are in difficulty.