France Wine Output Drops as Hail, Frost Hit Champagne, Burgundy
- Spring frost, hailstorms damage vineyards in Champagne, Loire
- Grape growers also facing pressure from fungal diseases
This photo shows Chablis designated first vintage (Premier Cru) vineyards of 'Montee de Tonnerre' in Chablis after they were damaged by a violent overnight hail on September 1, 2015. The hail damaged some 10 to 15 percent of great and first vintage vineyards in Chablis and Irancy in the Yonne department of the Burgundy region. AFP PHOTO / ERIC FEFERBERG (Photo credit should read ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty ImagesFrance’s wine production may decline to its lowest level in three years after spring frost and hailstorms wiped out grapes from Champagne to Burgundy and the Loire River valley, the government said.
Wine output is set to drop 7.9 percent to 44.1 million hectoliters, the equivalent of 5.9 billion bottles. Champagne production may slump 27 percent to 1.65 million hectoliters, an Agriculture Ministry outlook published online on Friday shows. The region’s total production including generic wines may drop 32 percent to the lowest since 2003, based on data from crop office FranceAgriMer.