Santé! French Wine Output Set for Rebound as Harvest Races Ahead

Grape pickers harvest fruit from the vines at the Philippe Gonet vineyard during the traditional Champagne wine harvest in Montgueux, France, Aug. 23 , 2018. Reuters/Charles Platiau

PARIS/BORDEAUX, France—French wine production should recover this year after a weather-ravaged 2017 campaign, forecasts on Aug. 24 showed, with a scorching summer boosting grape growth and allowing a very early harvest in eastern regions like Champagne and Alsace.

But fresh headaches for growers, notably the widespread cases of fungal crop disease mildew, could limit the rebound.