By Sybille de La Hamaide
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s wine output is expected to fall by nearly a quarter this year after adverse weather hurt vineyards throughout the cycle with the Champagne region most hit, the French farm ministry said on Friday.
In a monthly report, the ministry projected wine output this year at 36.9 million hectolitres, down from 37.5 million forecast last month and now 23% below last year’s small vintage when there had been major disparities between regions.
The revised forecast, based on the latest harvest results, was 17% below the five-year average of 44.2 million hectolitres.
A hectolitre is the equivalent of 100 litres, or 133 standard wine bottles.
“This year was characterized by unfavorable weather, with precipitation from flowering to harvest in most wine-growing areas and health problems that reduced volumes,” the ministry said in a monthly report.
“In many vineyards, flowering took place in cool and damp conditions, leading to “coulure” (dropping of flowers and young grapes) and “millerandage” (formation of small grapes). Added to this were losses due to frost in the spring, mildew and hail in the summer,” the ministry said.
All types of wine were affected, as well as those intended for the distilled spirit eau-de-vie which benefited from an exceptional harvest in 2023, it said.
Champagne recorded the sharpest fall in output among large wine-producing regions this year with a fall 46% from a good 2023 and 31% below the five-year average.
“In addition to the lack of sunshine which disrupted the development of the grapes, there were spring frosts, mildew, hail, scalding and excessive rainfall,” the ministry said, referring to the Champagne region.
Champagne producers in July had called for a cut in the number of grapes harvested this year after sales of the wine fell more than 15% in the first half of the year as customers tightened their belts due to an uncertain economy.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and David Evans)
