French Wine Output to Fall Below 2024 After Fires Ravage Vines

France further cut its estimate for this year’s wine production, putting output below 2024’s historically low level, after summer heat waves and wildfires hit vineyards.

With the grape harvest nearly complete, output is now seen at 36 million hectoliters, the agriculture ministry said in a report from the country’s agriculture ministry. That’s down from a September estimate of 37.4 million hectoliters and 16% below the five-year average. It comes after the worst fires in seven decades caused extensive damage tovineyards and other agricultural land in the southwest.

“The heat wave and drought in August reduced production potential, speeding up ...