The French are expecting the smallest harvest in a decade this year, with estimates putting it at 47.5 million hectoliters. The average for the last five years is 56.85m hl.
The weather at its extremes is to blame, with hailstorms in Champagne and Beaujolais hitting vines in mid-April and hot weather scorching grapes over the summer.
There was also a warning from the national agency Onivins that the high quality harvest that had been heralded was not a forgone conclusion.
“It is not guaranteed by any means,” Onivins director Jean-Luc Dairien told a news conference.
“For this vintage the quality of wine will depend above all on the skills of the wine makers and how well they match different grape varieties together,” he said.
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