France lifts wine output forecast on better-than-expected yields

France ​raised its 2026 wine production forecast to ​36.7 million hectolitres, up ‌from 34.9 million ​hectolitres estimated in October, after yields proved better than expected in several major regions, the farm ministry said on Friday.

The ‌latest estimate puts production 3% above the weak 2025 harvest but still 10% below the 2021-2025 average, it said in a monthly report. The upward revision was mainly due to higher-than-expected yields in ‌Languedoc-Roussillon and Charentes, which together account for about half of national output, as well ‌as in Champagne and the South-East.

France is the world's second-largest wine producer after Italy. Agreste, the ministry's statistics service, said the 2026 crop had suffered from a fall in vineyard area, due to a vineyard reduction plan, ⁠while summer ​heat and drought ⁠hurt yields, especially in northern wine regions.

Despite the rise in this month's forecast, production in Champagne was still ⁠expected to fall 38% from 2025 after frost, hail, drought and summer heatwaves. The number of Champagne bottles ​eventually put on the market each year is decided by the industry lobby, ⁠taking into account the output in the region and other parameters such as world demand.

Burgundy-Beaujolais output was forecast to ⁠fall ​22% from last year with Loire production down 7%. In contrast, Languedoc-Roussillon output was seen rising 25% from last year's very weak harvest after late-summer rains limited drought damage. ⁠Last month the farm ministry had expected a rise of 2% in the region.

Bordeaux production was ⁠forecast up 10% ⁠from 2025 but 11% below the five-year average, partly due to vineyard removals. A hectolitre is 100 litres, equivalent to about 133 ‌standard wine bottles.