The vintage 2020 has generally survived the vagaries of the weather, but with production trends marked by the health and commercial crises.

"In 2020, wine production is expected to reach 45 million hectolitres, i.e. 6% higher than in 2019," announced the Ministry of Agriculture's Statistics and Forecasting Service (SSP) on September 8. Confirming the initial forecasts made in August, the administration therefore predicts a harvest within the five-year average (+1%), "at the levels of the harvests preceding 2016".

While remaining cautious*, the statistical services note that "overall production is on the rise over one year in all the wine-growing regions, with the exception of the South-East. The surface drought has continued to worsen in certain basins, particularly in Burgundy, Beaujolais, the Rhone Valley, the Centre and the South-East".

Yields

If locally frost, coulure, mildew pressure, hail and scalding weigh on the production potential, it is also the union decisions concerning the yields of the vintage that limit the expected volumes. "Some of the regional professional organisations have decided to set their level of wines in the appellation lower than those of 2019, due to an economic market degraded by the Covid-19 crisis," reports the SSP. Who could have cited Anjou or Alsace, but cites the case of Champagne: "despite an increase in agronomic production, PDO volumes have been limited to a lower level than in 2019". With the establishment of inter-professional reserves in Bordeaux and Touraine, volumes produced will not be marketable immediately.

As shown in the graphs below, a 2% drop in the production of wines claimed AOC is expected, for a 50% increase in those classified as Vin de France (without geographical indication).

*: As the SSP indicates, "the harvest forecasts for 2020 were drawn up on 1st September. By their very nature, these forecasts cannot take into account events likely to occur after this date and influence the final harvest.