French wine output down 13% on five-year average as Champagne harvest starts early
Why France isn’t producing as much wine as it used to – and is it a problem?
- French wine production is forecast to reach 37.4 million hectolitres this year, a 3 per cent increase from last year's rain-hit season but 13 per cent below the five-year average.
- The reduced output compared to the average is primarily due to an August heatwave and drought, which affected grape juice content and accelerated ripening.
- A significant reduction in vineyard area, with over 20,000 hectares uprooted, also contributed to the decline in volumes.
- Regions like Charentes, Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Languedoc-Roussillon were particularly impacted, with Beaujolais expecting its lowest yield since 2012.
- France has subsidised the removal of vines to counter oversupply amid falling wine consumption, a policy criticised by some producers.