Exceptional frost damage to vineyards in France this month could cut wine production by almost a third, FranceAgriMer farm management said, citing estimates by horticulturists and winemakers.
Much of the harvest was lost due to a cold snap that swept parts of Europe from April 7-9, 2021.
Losses were projected at around 15 million hectoliters. The production volume will be 28-32% lower than the average volumes of previous years.
“This frost was something exceptional, both in that it spread so far south, and in the fact that it was so widespread,” Igor Ghibelind of FranceAgriMer told reporters, adding that the damage was exacerbated by the previous unusually warm weather.
The wine regions were hit hardest: Burgundy with average losses initially around 50 percent, Languedoc 40 percent and Aquitaine around 30 percent. Orchards and sugar beet crops were also affected.
