French Champagne production is expected to fall by nearly half in 2026 due to a scorching heat wave that swept across the country, significantly harming crops.
The Champagne region was most affected by a culmination of weather factors, including drought, hail, and frost, leading to a 48% drop in Champagne output from the 2025 average, according to the French agriculture ministry.
Other wines were affected as well, with pinot noir from the Bourgogne-Beaujolais region experiencing the biggest loss of crop but only seeing a 33% reduction in output from 2025.
Overall, wine production in France fell by 6%, with 34 million hectoliters produced, which is 17% below the five-year average.
The agriculture ministry said the cause of the decline in production was in part due to extreme summer heat waves and intensifying drought across the country that caused sunburn, berry shriveling, and foliage shedding. The high temperatures also led to an early harvest.
But not all regions saw a decrease, as late August rains helped mitigate drought conditions. The Bordeaux region saw a 10% increase and the Languedoc-Roussillon region saw a 5% increase.
Based on data collected through Sept. 1, France’s 2026 wine harvest will be its lowest in three decades.
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A heat wave gripped much of France from June 17 to July 2, driven by an “Omega block,” a weather pattern that traps hot air beneath a persistent high-pressure system for days. French health officials estimate that the country’s historic June heat wave contributed to more than 5,700 excess deaths, a 36% increase above expected mortality.
Following the extremely high temperatures, the French government provided farmers with 1 billion euros in funding to help them recover from crop losses. Wine farmers had also been affected by a decline in sales of the country’s famed wines, with exports dropping to a 25-year low in 2025.