Record Heat and Drought Make This Year's Champagne Stronger
- France's National Origin and Quality Institute authorized a one-off exemption to increase the alcohol limit for Champagne to 15% this year, responding to high sugar levels in grapes following record-breaking heatwaves.
- The 2026 growing season saw five heatwaves and an exceptionally early harvest, leaving grapes unusually rich in sugar that converts to higher alcohol during fermentation.
- A Comite Champagne spokeswoman told the BBC that only a small number of wines reached around 13.1% or 13.2%, with most producers blending harvests to keep alcohol below 12%.
- Didier Gimonnet, a third-generation producer in Cuis, warned that Champagne at 14% or 15% alcohol "will put a lot of people off," while Jane Anson noted buyers increasingly prefer lower-alcohol wines.
- Maxime Toubart, the co-chair of the Comite Champagne, said this unusual harvest will "probably become the norm in 10 to 15 years," as the 2026 vintage will not hit shelves until 2028.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Due to the heat, the harvest in the Champagne region had to start historically early this year.
This year's grape harvest brings with it a special feature for champagne producers. The luxury drink has more alcohol.
It will be temporarily allowed to produce champagne with an alcoholic content of up to 15%, above the limit of 13% Getty Images/via BBC Champagne drinkers may feel the drunkenness coming faster with the bottles of this crop in France. Extreme heat and drought in the French region of Champagne produced grapes with exceptionally high sugar levels. The fermentation converts sugar into alcohol during fermentation. The region recorded its earliest ha…
The extreme heat and drought produced grapes with exceptionally high sugar content.
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