Wine production is now estimated to be 39.3 million hectolitres, according to figures from Agreste, the statistics and forecasting department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
This would make it one of the lowest years for production since the Second World War, when the industry was recovering, and one of the smallest harvests in a century —going back 67 years to 1957 for the last time production was this small.
The ministry reported last year that the harvest fell within the five-year average range of 44.5 to 46.1 million hectolitres.
Although as can be seen in the graph below, the average since the turn of the century has been around 40-50 million hectolitres, it is against a backdrop of diminishing levels, counteracted by a few strong vintages.
The decline is due to particularly unfavourable weather conditions that have reduced production potential in almost all wine-growing areas, as the impact of climate change in traditional wine-growing regions has begun to bite.
The most significant declines concern the vineyards of Jura, Charentes, Val de Loire and Beaujolais-Bourgogne, Agreste reported.
National production
According to data to the beginning of September, the 39.3 million hectolitres estimate has been adjusted downwards from the previous month, due to a better assessment of the flowering results in the latest vineyards, particularly in Charentes.
It could remain slightly higher than the 2021 harvest, which was marked by severe frost. But all categories of wines will be affected by this decline, in particular wines intended for the production of eaux-de-vie (-34%) which had an exceptional 2023 harvest, and those from the Loire Valley.
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