Stop what you're doing - there's a worldwide wine shortage

Breathe.

Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde

You may be planning to make yourself a wine Christmas tree with wine bottles this year (because, really, who wouldn't want one?), but it sounds like there could be a spanner in the works. According to The International Organisation of Vine and Wine, there's actually a worldwide wine shortage - and everyone is panicking.

And just when we thought that things couldn't get any better thanks to Lidl's hangover-free Prosecco. Cruel.

The organisation revealed that regions in Italy, France and Spain won't be able to produce their usual quantity, with global production expected to reach the lowest level in fifty years. That's right - fifty.

Italy's production is expected to drop by 23%, with France and Spain's offering of the good stuff estimated to be down by 19% and 15% respectively.

But why is this happening? Unusual weather patterns are to blame, with a combination of frost and heatwaves affecting the grape harvest.

According to Agence France-Presse, Copa-Cogenca farmer's union spokesperson Thierry Coste said it's 'the lowest (European) harvest that we have seen since World War II.'

Of course, the majority of Brits were less than impressed with the news that there will be 133 billion less bottles of vino, and have taken to Twitter to vent.

Luckily, production in Argentina is expected to increase by 25%, and Australia's will go up by 6%.

Also, there's apparently enough saved up from previous years that we shouldn't really notice any difference.

Panic over. Back to your Merlot.