Thursday, 17 September, 2026
Reuters, Sybille de La Hamaide
France is likely to produce one of the lowest amounts of wine in the last three decades, with champagne output set to halve this year, after severe heat and drought damaged vines and grapes, the farm ministry said on Monday.
The world's second-largest wine producer recorded its hottest summer yet in 2026, as scientists say human-made climate change makes extreme weather events more intense and more frequent and Europe experiences the fastest warming of any continent.
Following on from low output in 2024 and 2025, France was projected to produce 33.9 million hectolitres of wine in 2026 – equivalent to about 4.5 billion standard bottles. That would be 6% below last year and 17% down on the 2021 to 2025 average.
The ministry said conditions early in the year had been favourable, but then the summer drought and heatwaves damaged vines and reduced yields.
Most wine producers in France – like other European countries – tarted harvesting grapes unusually early this year, the ministry said.
France is traditionally the world's second-largest wine producer behind Italy and the largest exporter in value.
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