Prosecco shortage may spell bad news for bubbly lovers

Bottomless brunchers beware: Prosecco may not flow quite as freely this year.

A shortage of the Italian bubbly could occur as a result of high demand and rainy weather, according to Roberto Cremonese, the export manager of the popular prosecco manufacturer Bisol.

"Last year's harvest was very poor, and down by up to 50% in some parts, so there is a very real possibility of a global shortage," Cremonese said in an interview with the trade publicationThe Drinks Business.

The ares hardest hit, according to the publication, is Prosecco DOC, which is made up of territories and provinces in northeast Italy. DOC stands for "Controlled Designation of Origin" and means the prosecco is produced within a set of guidelines in a specific region. The area received a lot of rain in the last year, according to Cremonese.

"A lot of the vines in the DOC area are newly planted and they ended up soaked – the grapes were rotten and yields were down by half in some cases," Cremonese told The Drinks Business.

While the supply is limited, demand is up, according to reports.

In 2014, Prosecco DOC sales increased by 27%, according to the Italian news organization Italy24. Prosecco export to the U.K. rose by more than 60% and increased to 38% in the USA, Italy24 reported.

USA TODAY Network reached out to Cremonese, but he could not immediately be reached for comment.

Follow @lagrisham on Twitter