In the South-East, millerandage, late frost and mildew mainly affected Provence, and the basin’s production contracted by 11% compared to 2023…
Affected sometimes by precipitation, drought, or late frost, 2024 wine production in France is expected to decline by 23% year-on-year, to a volume close to the historically low levels of 2017 and 2021.
As of November 1, the 2024 harvest was estimated at 36.9 million hectoliters, which should allow Italy to once again become the world’s leading producer this year.
For France, this represents a decline of 17% compared to the average of the last five years, according to the new estimate published Friday by the Ministry of Agriculture.
All types of wine are affected, particularly in Burgundy, Beaujolais and Champagne, as well as wines intended for eaux-de-vie (down 36% after an exceptional harvest in 2023).
These projections were further revised downwards, since in September the statistics and forecasting services of the ministry predicted a decline of 18% over one year.
The year 2024 was characterized by precipitation from spring until the harvest and health problems which reduced volumes.
In many vineyards, flowering took place in cool and humid conditions, leading to coulure (dropping of flowers and young berries) as well as millerandage (berries that were too small). Added to this are losses due to frost in spring, mildew and hail in summer.
According to the ministry, in Champagne, production would be 46% lower than last year and 31% lower than the five-year average, between a lack of sunshine, spring frosts and excess precipitation.
In Languedoc-Roussillon – the leading French wine-growing region in terms of volume – it would be 9% lower than last year, with in places a recurring drought which has weakened the vines, and elsewhere mildew, favored by significant rainfall at the start of summer.
The entire Burgundy-Beaujolais harvest would be 38% lower than the high 2023 harvest, with downy mildew having caused losses particularly in Côte d’Or and excessive rainfall in Beaujolais.
“Structural problem”
In Bordeaux, between the reduction in vineyard areas, episodes of coulure, millerandage, mildew and hail, the harvest is expected to drop by 12% after an already declining year in 2023.
In Alsace, it would decline by 13% due to difficult flowering and attacks of mildew. In Val de Loire, it would drop by 29%. In the South-West, the harvest should be lower than that, already reduced, of 2023, while in the South-East, it is expected to be -11%, with millerandage, late frost and mildew which have mainly affected Provence.
These figures are published at a time when representatives of farmers, including wine growers, are preparing to launch a new protest movement to defend their income.
If these forecasts are confirmed, Italy should regain from France the place of leading world producer that it had stolen from it in 2023.
The Italian harvest for 2024 should reach 41 million hectoliters, up 7% year-on-year, but down 12.5% compared to the average of the last five years, according to the estimate published at the end of September by the Assoenologi and the Italian Wine Union (UIV). These figures will not be updated before March 2025, a UIV official told AFP on Friday.
The “estimated volumes remain far from the average of recent years, but will probably be enough to overtake France (…) and reconquer first place in the world. A small consolation given the complexity of the period for the sector”, indicated in September the UIV, referring to a “climate problem that is now structural”.
The director of the UIV, Lamberto Frescobaldi, underlined Friday to AFP the “strong disparities” between regions, “like central Italy, where we produced a lot, and others in which drought or other extreme weather events have made themselves felt.”
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