French wine harvest set for historic low after summer heatwaves

France's wine industry is facing a historic low harvest after the country was hit by a series of summer heatwaves, according to estimates published Wednesday by the ministry of agriculture. The total harvest is projected at about 35 million hectolitres, down 2% on an already mediocre 2025 yield that was itself the lowest in nearly 70 years.

The projected total also sits 14% below the average harvest recorded over the 2021-2025 period, underscoring the scale of the decline facing French winemakers this year. The ministry's estimates point to extreme summer heat as the primary driver behind the reduced yield, continuing a pattern of weather-related pressure on the sector in recent seasons.

Continuing a multi-year decline

The latest figures extend a run of difficult harvests for French wine producers, who have faced increasingly volatile growing conditions linked to shifting weather patterns. A yield already described as the lowest in nearly 70 years in 2025 being followed by a further decline this year highlights the mounting challenge facing the industry.

France remains one of the world's largest wine producers, and sustained reductions in harvest volume carry implications for growers' incomes, export supply and pricing across the sector. The agriculture ministry's estimates did not detail how the shortfall is likely to be distributed across the country's various wine-producing regions.