Gasp! Prosecco Shortage Is on the Way

Photo: David Loftus

You might want to start stocking up if you plan to have bubbly at your summer shindig: a shortage of prosecco may be on the horizon.

Producers in regions that traditionally make prosecco — Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in northern Italy — had a terrible harvest last year, with some yielding half of what they’d anticipated. Flooding is the main culprit. Robert Cremonese, an export manager for the producer Bisol, told trade publication The Drinks Business that merchants could use the situation as a chance to jack up prices, “in some cases by 50 percent.”

But don’t panic just yet. Although prosecco is originally an Italian invention, since 2000 it’s been produced as far away as South America. There’s also cava, prosecco’s effervescent Spanish cousin, to hold you over. Of course, if things get dire, you can always spring for a bottle of champagne. We know, life is hard.

Also, take heart: This isn’t the first shortage to come across our desk, and none of those have proved catastrophic. Remember the Nutella shortage? Or the Velveeta shortage? How about the shortages coffee, avocados, escargot, and bourbon? All of those things still very much exist, so take this prosecco shortage with a grain of Maldon sea salt.

Shortage freakouts we wish we could forget:

Survive the Velveeta shortage: eat better cheese

Coffee prices soon to spike! Time to panic and hoard?

Sacre bleu! Escargots are in danger! Enjoy them while you still can!

Do you think the prosecco panic is overblown? Tell us below!