While “travesty” might be a strong word to describe the situation in comparison to world events, it is still devastating to wine-lovers (over the age of 21, of course) everywhere.

According to The Huffington Post, the issue lies in the simple problem of supply unable to meet demand. While wine consumption has been rising quite steadily since the late ‘90s, the production of wine has decreased for a multitude of reasons.

In fact, the areas of countries that grow wine grapes, or are “under-vine” as the connoisseurs say, are steadily decreasing. Furthermore, the production of wine was severely impacted by poor weather in the countries that produce the largest amounts of wine: Spain, France and Italy.

America, shockingly, is not helping the problem. Americans are content to consume 12 percent of the world’s wine while only
producing 8 percent.

The bad news?

With the decrease of European wine production and an increase in worldwide demand, The Huffington Post proposes that it will take more than one successful year of harvest to assuage wine-lovers’ woes. Production must improve worldwide to solve the impending problem.

While The Huffington Post did not discuss wine prices, we can only assume that the prices will go up as well. With less wine and surplus of willing customers, wine sellers can easily increase their wine prices to
accommodate the situation.

Don’t panic just yet. The Huffington Post also informs that despite 2012’s hindrance of weather, 2013 wine production has been deemed “relatively high” by the International Organization of Vine and Wine.

The good news?

Now that we are aware of our wine-less fate, we can run to the store and stock up before the aisles are overpriced or barren. Though hopefully we’ll never witness these post-apocalyptic aisles.

This threat, while less imminent than others, is considerable. While it is bound to affect the economy, what’s worse is it will affect bubble baths, good books, dinner parties and masses everywhere.

We can only hope that more countries will develop lands that are under-vine and undergo many fortuitous harvests so that this wine shortage fails to become entirely
out of hand.

Until then, stock up and drink sparingly to many successful future harvests both in America and around the globe.