French wine production is heading for a double-digit decline this year as weather conditions and viticultural hazards impact growers.
According to France’s ministerial statistical service for agriculture (Agreste), wine production for the 2024 harvest is estimated to drop by 18% to 39.3 million hectolitres, which would be 11% lower than the five-year average.
“All categories of wines would be affected by this drop, in particular wines intended for the production of spirits (-34%) which had experienced an exceptional 2023 harvest, and those from the Loire Valley,” Agreste said.
The decline is due to “unfavourable” climate conditions that have impacted vineyards, particularly in Beaujolais-Bourgogne, Jura, Charentes and Val de Loire.
Climate conditions have caused a rise in two viticulture hazards for French vintners. Firstly, coulure, which is the failure of grapes to develop after flowering due to disrupted metabolic systems, often caused by out-of-season weather.
Secondly, French vineyards have reported ‘millerandage’, a phenomenon of vines producing grape bunches that have berries of varying sizes. Winemakers have also reported harmful mildew, frost and hail events.
All of this has led to an expected decline in production, estimated at 39.3 million hectolitres for the year, based on data published 1 September. This is a further drop on estimates issued last month, which forecasted winemakers would produce between 40 and 43 million hectolitres of wine.
Agreste has estimated production in Champagne will be 16% lower than in 2023, citing spring frosts, mildew and hail as contributing factors to the decline.
In July, it was reported that Champagne shipments had slumped in the opening six months of 2024 after “an exceptionally rainy wine campaign”, according to trade association figures.
The Comité Champagne said Champagne shipments fell 15.2% year-on-year in the first half of 2024. The figure reached 106.7 million bottles, which is now at “a level that is close to that of 2019”, the committee said.
France made just over a fifth of the world’s wine – exceeding its five-year average by 8.3% – in 2023. But winemakers are now tackling oversupplies and falling consumption. In recent years, the French government has provided support to wineries to destroy excess stock and pull up vines.
In July, the EU invited representatives of member states to join a wine-policy group to discuss challenges and opportunities for the sector.
The so-called High-Level Group on Wine Policy has been described as a “forum” that will address macro challenges including declining consumption and climate change, and “explore possible solutions”.
