French wine producers are forecasting their smallest harvest in 30 years after a severe drought and the country's hottest summer on record, the agriculture ministry has said. The decline matters because it reflects the accelerating impact of the climate emergency on one of France's signature industries, threatening both the volume and, potentially, the quality of this year's vintage as some regions also battle "smoke taint" from nearby wildfires.

Agreste, the government's agricultural statistics body, estimates production of just under 34m hectolitres, down 6% on last year and 17% below the 2021-2025 average. Champagne is among the worst affected, with output forecast to nearly halve, followed by Jura at 37% down and Burgundy-Beaujolais at around a third lower, though a Burgundy producers' representative disputed how bleak the official figures appeared. Bordeaux and other southern regions reported higher yields than last year but still below the five-year average, while wildfire smoke near Bordeaux has raised fears of tainted grapes; final figures await official regional harvest declarations later this year.