The French, on alert for the summer - Heat and drought hit production
French wine production is expected to be among the weakest in three decades, as extreme temperatures and drought have hit vineyards across the country hard.
The French Ministry of Agriculture predicts that wine production this year will reach around 33.9 million hectoliters, 6% less than in 2025 and 17% below the average of the last five years.
The situation is particularly dire in the famous Champagne region, where production is expected to be halved compared to last year. Damage to vines and grapes from high temperatures, coupled with drought, has significantly reduced yields.
This would be the third consecutive poor harvest for France, following the low yields of 2024 and 2025.
Although spring had initially created positive expectations, summer brought intense heat waves and a lack of rainfall. As a result, producers began harvesting grapes earlier than usual.
The problems for the French wine sector are not just climate-related. The area under vines has fallen by 2.5% this year, while oversupply and falling consumption have forced many producers to uproot some of their vineyards.
France remains one of the main powers of the global wine industry and the world's largest exporter by value. For this reason, another weak season could also have an impact on the international market.
But the difficult summer has not only affected wine producers. Record heat waves have also damaged other agricultural crops, pastures and water reserves in the country.
Faced with the situation, the French government has announced an emergency package of more than 1 billion euros for farmers hit by extreme weather conditions.
Thus, the climate is becoming one of the biggest challenges for French agriculture, as traditional vineyards face an increasingly difficult season.
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