The “particularly unfavorable” climatic conditions in practically all production basins are said to be the cause of this decline.
Wine production in France in 2024 is expected to fall by 18% over one year, due to climatic conditions “particularly unfavorable” in virtually all production basins, according to a new estimate published Friday by the Ministry of Agriculture. The harvest is estimated at 39.3 million hectoliters, “in sharp decline”while the previous forecast, published at the beginning of August before the start of the harvest, was for production of between 40 and 43 million hectolitres.
The previous month’s estimate was “adjusted downwards due to a better appreciation of the flowering results in the latest vineyards, particularly in Charentes”specifies the statistics service of the ministry, Agreste. The most marked declines concern the vineyards of Jura (-71% over one year), where a severe frost and mildew significantly reduce production, after a very good 2023 harvest.
But in terms of volume produced, the most significant decline affects the large Charentes vineyards. “Despite an increase in areas, production is expected to decrease by 35% compared to the record year of 2023, due to a low number of bunches and poor flowering caused by wet conditions”explains the ministry. The other most affected vineyards are the Loire Valley (-30%) and Bourgogne-Beaujolais (which would lose a quarter of its production): losses mainly caused by mildew, to which was added hail for Beaujolais.
Also readHow do winegrowers set the date for the start of the harvest?
Champagne and Bordeaux affected
Champagne has seen its production fall by 16% over a year, but remains 8% higher than the average of the last five years. In Bordeaux, where the surface area has decreased as part of the plan to uproot 8,000 hectares of vines this year, the reduction in production, also due to diseases and hailstorms, is estimated at 10%. These reductions in surface area are in response to a drop in wine sales in volume in recent years, with consumers particularly avoiding red wine.
This year, many vineyards have been affected by phenomena such as “the coulure which causes the flowers and young berries to fall”or “the millerandage which causes a variation in the size of the berries”. These phenomena are the consequence of wet and cool periods during flowering. Mildew has affected the majority of wine-growing areas. Thanks to the August rainfall, the small Corsican vineyards have seen their production increase by 9% compared to the five-year average, despite a 5% drop over one year. At the national level, the 2024 harvest is 11% lower than the 2019-2023 average, according to the ministry.
