Wine's world

According to estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture as at 1 November, wine production in French PDOs is projected to reach nearly 15.04 million hectoliters in 2026, representing a 4 per cent fall compared with 2025, but a 12 per cent fall compared to the five-year average (despite uncluding three years of low yields in 2021, 2024, and 2025). This is therefore one of the lowest production levels in the past 30 years.

The decline in vineyard area (grapevine removals, abandonment of leases, etc.), estimated at -2.5% over the past year, is not sufficient to explain this decrease. Similarly, the start of the season was favorable, with good soil moisture replenishment in the spring, vigorous shoot growth, and low disease pressure.

Most vineyards began the harvest as early as August. Yields varied greatly from one region to another; yields in the northern half of France were affected by drought and the intense summer heat, whilst those in the southern half – bolstered by rainfall at the end of the summer – are higher than the generally low yields of 2025:

• In Bordeaux, the rains at the end of August proved a lifeline. Despite the grubbing-up of nearly 5,000 ha, production is up compared with 2025 (+9 per cent).
• In Languedoc-Roussillon, production is significantly higher than in 2025 (+30 per cent). However, this increase masks significant local disparities, depending on the extent to which vineyards have used irrigation.
• In the Southeast the recent rainfall has been beneficial, although hailstorms in the Vaucluse, Ardèche and Drôme have exacerbated losses. Production is up compared with 2025 (+6 per cent).
• In Corsica, the grape harvest, which began in early August, has yielded volumes that were ultimately little affected by the heatwave thanks to the effective use of irrigation. Production is slightly higher than in 2025 (+7 per cent).
• In Alsace, the drought limited berry size, although the vines benefited from late rains. The harvest, which began on 18 August, yielded a crop smaller than the already meagre 2025 harvest (-8 per cent).
• In the Loire Valley, the harvest, which began around 10 August, was down on 2025 (-3 per cent).
• In Burgundy-Beaujolais, hail, drought and heatwaves significantly reduced expected yields. With Pinot Noir particularly affected, the 2026 harvest saw a sharp decline (-23 per cent) compared with 2026.
• In the Jura, the drought resulted in very small grapes, leading to a volume significantly lower than in 2025 (-28 per cent).
• In Champagne, the harvest began as early as 10 August. Following adverse weather conditions (frost in the Aisne, hail and drought since March), the weight of the bunches has reached its lowest level in 20 years, with the harvest reduced by nearly half compared with 2025 (-41 per cent).

With the first rackings now complete (when the wine has been transferred from the vats into barrels to begin its ageing process), we are beginning to get a glimpse of the quality of the 2026 vintage in Bordeaux, following a summer that was consistently (uninterrupted from May to October!) hot and dry:

• The grapes—both white and red—were in perfect condition. So perfect, in fact, that the Sauternes producers harvested grapes that had dried naturally (concentration through desiccation) rather than those affected by botrytis (concentration through noble rot). We expect to discover aromatic profiles of dried fruit and honey, closer to straw wines than to the usual sweet wines.

• For dry white wines, as the grapes were already ripe by early August, producers began the harvest without delay, often even before 15 August, so as not to risk losing freshness and acidity. The producers’ expertise and technical skill will make all the difference.

• As for the reds, although ripening may have stalled in mid-August, the winegrowers had plenty of time to harvest perfectly ripe grapes at their own pace in early September, in ideal weather conditions.
   - The vines’ resilience in particularly dry conditions is remarkable. From the north to the south of the Gironde, it was striking at the end of August to see how the vines were the only patches of green in the landscape, whilst all the meadows and lawns were parched. Thanks to their deep root systems, the mature vines were able to find the water necessary for their growth under all circumstances.
   - As proof of this resilience, Bordeaux winegrowers, who had feared a very meagre 2026 harvest (small berries with thick skins and little juice), were pleasantly surprised after pressing to find that, although volumes were initially lower, they were ultimately higher (+11 per cent) than those of the 2025 vintage.
   - Consequently, we expect the 2026 reds to be, at the very least, of an excellent standard, perhaps comparable to that of the 2022 vintage, a truly great vintage characterised by heat and drought (and wildfires!).

Incidentally, we are hearing similar reports from Burgundy, where winegrowers are describing the 2026 vintage as ‘historic’ (see the cover of 'Bourgogne Aujourd’hui', October–November 2026).

Since May, the early development of the 2026 vintage (already evident due to budbreak three weeks ahead of schedule, followed by rapid flowering) has been accelerating as a result of successive heatwaves.

The anticipated harvest dates (for all Bordeaux appellations, not just the earliest-ripening terroirs) are remarkable and are sure to break many records:

• First week of August: harvest of Crémants de Bordeaux, for which preserving acidity is paramount,
• 15 August: harvest of dry whites,
• last week of August: harvest of Merlot.
• Given that the harvest typically lasts around 20 days, the last Cabernet grapes will likely be picked before mid-September.

With heatwaves compounded by persistent drought, it is the youngest vines and/or those on the most well-drained sandy soils (the southern Haut-Médoc on the outskirts of Bordeaux, the Graves on the edge of the Landes Forest, and Saint-Émilion and Pomerol on the outskirts of Libourne) that will suffer the most.

Conversely, old vines with deep root systems, and terroirs on clay or clay-limestone subsoils, will – barring extreme weather conditions – be able to make the most of these summer heatwaves to produce great wines, as was the case in 2022.