champagne

Why Will Champagne Be Much More Alcoholic This Year?

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The Editor

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The weather variations we experienced this year directly impacted the harvest, as well as the grapes themselves. As a result, this year's Champagne will be more alcoholic, and a special exemption has been granted to a few producers to sell bottles exceeding the regulatory alcohol level. 

When it comes to weather, 2026 was rather chaotic. And naturally, this hasn't been without consequences for various harvests, particularly when it comes to grapes. This year, the harvest has a very special character: between early frosts, the violent heat waves that succeeded one another throughout the summer, severe droughts… In short, conditions were far from ideal, forcing winemakers to find adaptation solutions. The consequence of this climate upheaval? Sweeter grapes and therefore champagnes and wines with higher alcohol content. Exceptionally, the Champagne Committee obtained a special exemption this year to market bottles with more than 13% alcohol — a measure that departs from the usual regulations — reaching j

usqu’à 15 %.


Grape Ripening and Harvest Disrupted

Unpredictable weather, early harvests… Winemakers now find themselves with grapes that ripened very quickly, grapes that are tr

sweeter and which, consequently, will be more alcoholic. In Champagne, harvests have never started so early: between August 6 and 17, that's two weeks earlier than last year, according to the Champagne Committee.

Meanwhile, the quantities harvested are significantly lower than the previous year: 7,000 kg per hectare, compared to 9,900 kg in 2025, according to Maxime Toubart, president of the General Union of Champagne Winegrowers and co-president of the Champagne Committee, interviewed by Le Monde. 


A situation set to become the norm for years to come 

The picture is clear: what presented itself as an exceptional situation in 2026 could well become the norm in the years ahead. Winemakers have already begun adapting their practices with the goal of being able to "continue producing champagne in Champagne ", affirms Maxime Toubart to the Monde.