Drought threatens wine output in France

However, vineyards say the French won’t be left without their favorite beverage

Production volumes are expected to fall for French winemakers this year due to drought and heat waves, Amelie Petit, the development manager for the country’s association of wine producers Vignerons Engages, told RIA Novosti on Saturday.

According to Petit, the situation is not catastrophic and the current year’s output will be sufficient to provide the country’s wine lovers with enough of their favorite tipple.

“Wine production has been affected by a wide range of factors since the beginning of 2022, for instance, frosts and hail that led to a decrease in production volumes in various vineyards in France,” the official said, adding that drought and extreme summer heat would also affect the volume of wine produced in the country.

She added that the industry expected to produce 44 million hectoliters of wine, which is more than in 2021, when harvests in many regions were hit by spring frosts, but less than the 50 million hectoliters recorded in 2020.

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This summer, France has been hit by devastating heat waves that have seen temperatures in some parts of the country soar to 40 degrees Celsius, causing wildfires, evacuations and heat-related deaths. In July, the country’s authorities were forced to introduce restrictions on the use of water.

Late frosts that hit French vineyards during spring 2021 affected several hundred thousand hectares of trees and field crops, causing a 19% drop in wine production, amounting to 37.6 million hectoliters.