French wine harvest forecasts postponed amid extreme heat

The French Ministry of Agriculture has delayed its usual early‑August wine‑harvest outlook to early September because of unprecedented heat, drought, storms and wildfires that have created strong uncertainty across many viticultural basins. Jérôme Despey, president of the specialised wine and cider council and vice‑president of the FNSEA, said the ministry asked to postpone the forecast to avoid large errors.

The ministry explained that conditions since late June – including heatwaves, severe dryness and local events such as hail, storms and fires – have made it difficult to assess vine development and potential yields. The first estimates are now expected on 8 September, after observations from the early harvests provide more reliable data.

In the Var region, vignerons facing recent forest fires are also uncertain about the 2026 vintage, fearing smoky flavours in the wine. Some growers are adopting parcel‑by‑parcel harvesting and testing grapes for smoke compounds, while others await laboratory results before deciding on harvest timing.