Wine production in France could fall to 70-year low

France's agriculture ministry warns that wine production could hit a 70-year low in 2026. This is reported by the CNBS channel. The decrease in volumes is recorded for the third year in a row due to a number of factors.

This year, winemakers experienced several record heatwaves, which had an extremely negative impact on the harvest. Jean-Marie Cardeba, head of the department of wines and spirits at the INSEEC Grande Ecole University, said: “We understand that today no region of France is immune from abnormal heat.”.

Another reason is the decrease in alcohol consumption in the country. In 1960, about 50% of the French consumed wine daily, but now only 10% remain.

Rising inflation and higher customs duties over the past five years have also contributed to lower sales and the accumulation of surplus wine. As a result, wineries are cutting down vineyards. In the Bordeaux region alone, about 20,000 hectares of vineyards have been uprooted since 2023, reducing the total area of vineyards to 83,000 hectares.

Eugene Hvostik