This year’s French wine production may fall by up to 17 percent this year to a record low after spring frosts damaged vineyards, notably in the Bordeaux region, which might lose half its output, the French farm ministry recently reported.
The ministry estimated this year’s wine production in France, the world’s second-largest producer, at 37 to 38 million hectoliters. Down significantly from last year’s production of 45.5 million hectoliters. The drop in production has not been this low since 1991, according to the ministry. The fall in production is primarily due to the severe frosts in the spring, which affected the vines at a critical stage in the vine’s growth. Wine growers use candles, heaters and even the down-draught from helicopters during the cold snap in April to try to save the vines.
Source: Reuters, July 2017