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Wine production is expected to rise by 13-21% to between 42.6
million and 45.6 million hectolitres, the ministry projected in
its first outlook for 2022.
A hectolitre is the equivalent of 100 litres, or 133 standard
wine bottles.
The forecast range is even with to 7% above the five-year
average, it said.
Most areas experienced more favourable weather than last year
for the flowering of vines, except for parts of the southwest
which were affected by frost and hail, the ministry said.
"In these conditions, production is trending towards an increase
compared with last year in all wine regions, with the exception
of Charentes," it said in a report.
"However, soil drought combined with heatwaves could limit this
increase if they persist until harvesting."
The French agricultural sector, the European Union's largest,
fears mounting losses from the country's worst drought on record
which has been fuelled by successive heatwaves.
Dry, warm weather this year had reduced disease pressure on
vines and was also set to lead to an early start to the grape
harvest, the ministry said.
Drought was nonetheless affecting grapes in regions such as
Alsace in the east and Languedoc-Roussillon in the far
southwest, while starting to curb harvest potential in Burgundy,
it said.
Production in Bordeaux was set to fall below the five-year
average after frost and hail damaged around 10,000 hectares to a
varying extent, the ministry added.
The Champagne region was set for a good harvest with output seen
above the five-year average, helped by rainfall in June and
limited vine disease, it said.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jason
Neely)
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