Wine in France: 33.9 million hectoliters, production among the lowest in 30 years

After initially favorable spring conditions, drought and heatwaves during the summer reduced yields. The lack of water in the soil, sunburn damage, and wilting of some grape clusters weighed on volumes at harvest time.

The decline is particularly sharp in Champagne, where production is expected to fall by 49% year-on-year. The Burgundy-Beaujolais region is forecast to lose about a third of its production, while the Loire Valley and Charentes are projected to drop by 12% and 6%, respectively.

Some regions are expected to perform better than in 2025. Bordeaux is anticipated to rise by around 10% following late August rains, and Languedoc-Roussillon by 5%. However, these rebounds start from low levels and remain below recent averages.

France is thus heading towards a third consecutive low-volume harvest after 2024 and 2025. The decline is not only due to weather: production area has shrunk by 2.5% this year, amid falling consumption and vine uprooting aimed at reducing surpluses in certain regions.

The climate shock goes beyond the wine sector alone. Several French agricultural sectors have been affected by the intense summer heat, in a context where the heatwave has also had a lasting impact on other countries in the Mediterranean basin..