France forecasts 2026 wine output down 6% to 33.9 mln hectolitres

September 7, 2026 at 05:00 PM2 min

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France's agriculture ministry forecasts 2026 wine production at 33.9 million hectolitres, down 6% from last year and 17% below the 2021-2025 average. The ministry said on September 7 that this would be the third consecutive weak harvest and one of the worst in 30 years. The decline follows summer drought and heat that damaged vineyards, even as the Languedoc-Roussillon region is expected to post a 5% increase.

Key Facts

France's agriculture ministry forecasts 2026 wine production at 33.9 million hectolitres, down 6% from 2025 and 17% below the 2021-2025 average.
The ministry said on September 7 that this year's harvest would be one of the worst in three decades.
Champagne production is expected to halve from 2025 due to reduced vineyard area and heat damage.
Burgundy-Beaujolais output is forecast to fall by a third, while the Loire Valley and Charentes are projected to decline by 12% and 6% respectively.
Languedoc-Roussillon, France's largest wine region, is expected to grow 5% from last year's weak harvest but remain below average.

National Forecast

France's agriculture ministry released its first production estimate for 2026 on September 7, projecting 33.9 million hectolitres of wine. The figure is 6% below the 2025 harvest and 17% below the average for 2021–2025. The ministry attributed the decline to reduced vineyard area and damage from summer drought and heat. This would mark the third consecutive weak harvest after low yields in 2024 and 2025. Spring conditions had initially promised a good crop, but summer weather reversed those expectations.

Regional Impact

Champagne is forecast to see production halve from 2025 levels because of shrinking vineyard area and heat stress on vines and grapes. Burgundy-Beaujolais output is projected to fall by one-third. The Loire Valley and Charentes are expected to decline by 12% and 6% respectively. Languedoc-Roussillon, the country's largest wine region, is forecast to grow 5% from last year's weak harvest thanks to higher yields, though volumes will remain below average.