Burgundy and Franche-Comté Wine Harvest Faces Weather Setbacks and Market Pressures

As the 2025 grape harvest begins in Burgundy and Franche-Comté, wine producers are facing a challenging season. The region’s vineyards have been affected by extreme weather, with heatwaves in August disrupting vine development and heavy rains at the end of the month increasing disease pressure, especially in areas like Maconnais and Yonne. This has forced some growers to start picking earlier than usual.

Yields are expected to be uneven across the region. In Nièvre, the harvest is projected at 55 hectoliters per hectare, which is considered average. In Yonne, excessive rainfall has caused some grapes to split, but yields should reach around 60 hl/ha. Côte d’Or is seeing significant variability within its vineyards, with an average yield of about 40 hl/ha and some areas producing only half a normal crop. Saône-et-Loire shows marked differences between subregions: while Côte Chalonnaise looks promising, Mâconnais faces high fungal pressure that could reduce yields by up to 30%. The Jura region expects a normal campaign despite a brief hailstorm in August, with yields around 50 hl/ha.

Bulk wine transactions for Burgundy AOP wines have dropped sharply this year. By the end of the 2025 campaign, sales between producers and merchants were down 24% compared to last year. This decline has been consistent since December and matches the 27% drop in harvest volume compared to the five-year average. Red and rosé bulk wine sales fell by 36%, white wines by 19%, and Crémant by 25%.

Despite these domestic challenges, Burgundy-Franche-Comté’s wine exports have remained strong through June. Export volumes rose by 6% and export values by 11% compared to the same period in 2024. Over the twelve months ending in May, bottle sales (excluding Crémant) reached 170 million units, slightly above last year’s figures but with slower growth than previous months. Wine stocks continue to decrease, now representing just over 18 months of sales—a drop of 10% from a year ago.

The broader agricultural context in the region also reflects mixed results. Summer cereal harvests were quick and abundant due to dry, warm weather, with winter barley yields up 23% over average and wheat yields up 10%. However, maize crops suffered from drought stress during heatwaves, leading to lower yields than usual. Oilseed rape performed well overall, but soybean yields are expected to be below average.

On the dairy front, production in June matched last year’s levels at 135 million liters for Burgundy-Franche-Comté, slightly above the three-year average. Deliveries of AOP milk from the Jura increased by over 3%, thanks to better grazing conditions, while conventional milk deliveries continued their nine-month decline. Cheese production rebounded in June: Comté output rose by 1.3%, Morbier by over 7%, and other cheeses like Emmental and Raclette also saw gains.

Livestock markets experienced some volatility during the summer. Cattle prices dipped early in the season due to uncertainty from disease outbreaks but recovered in August as demand strengthened and supply remained limited. Pig slaughter numbers increased locally even as national figures declined.

Weather patterns contributed to these outcomes. July and August saw two heatwaves followed by intense thunderstorms. Average temperatures were close to normal for the season but rainfall was higher than usual in August across much of the region.

The outlook for Burgundy-Franche-Comté’s wine sector remains cautious as producers navigate another difficult harvest and ongoing market pressures. However, strong export performance offers some relief amid local challenges with weather and production volumes.