France lifts champagne alcohol cap for 2026 harvest

Bottles of champagne produced from this summer’s harvest are authorised to reach above 13% in alcohol volume, following a ministerial order in France’s Journal officiel. 

The decision, taken after this summer’s devastating heatwaves affected crop yields across France, is backed by local winemakers through the Comité Champagne. 

In September 2026, the Comité secured a first-ever derogation from the typical production specifications for champagne, allowing bottles of up to 15% in volume to be produced.

This was granted by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (Inao), which controls wine specifications. Indeed, all wine appellations that set a lower maximum limit on alcohol percentages have received derogations for this year due to the effects of the 2026 harvest.

The arrêté in the Journal officiel confirms the Inao derogation.

“Wines bottled in 2027, made from a blend of non-enriched wines from the 2026 harvest and enriched wines from previous harvests, may, following the secondary fermentation process, exceed the maximum total alcoholic strength by volume of 13%,” the order states regarding champagne specifically.

This means bottles that mix content from both the 2026 harvest and earlier wines that have undergone chaptalisation (adding sugar to the wine to increase its alcohol content) are included in the exemption, alongside wines made solely from this year’s grapes.

The decree has been made “on an exceptional basis, following the climatic conditions of the summer of 2026, marked by heatwaves and an extraordinary drought, which have resulted in particularly high potential alcohol levels for the 2026 harvest.” 

Winegrowers in the Champagne area were among the hardest hit from this summer’s dramatic heatwaves and droughts, losing around half of their yields due to weather conditions.

High sugar content, early harvests

Producers must adhere to strict limits to label their wine as ‘champagne’, including a maximum alcohol percentage of 13%. 

This requires producers to carefully pick grapes at the right time to ensure the sugar content is not too high to bring the wine over this limit.

This summer’s extreme heat saw grapes ripen early, giving them a higher natural sugar content and thus a naturally higher alcohol base following fermentation. 

As champagne undergoes its second fermentation process once bottled (this is also how the wine gets its bubbles), this increases the risk of going over the 13% limit.

Grape harvests in Champagne this year began earlier than usual, and by August 17 most vineyards had begun picking grapes. 

This is around two weeks earlier than 2025, which was already considered an early start by usual standards.

Earlier harvests and stronger alcohol content could become the norm in future years, as growers adapt to a changing climate, said Maxime Toubart, co-president of the Comité Champagne.

However, the conditions of 2026 are expected to remain exceptional, and not all harvests in the coming years will see such extremes as this year.

Will exceptional rules change much for shoppers?

The derogation for the 2026 yield, however, is not set to result in widespread differences for consumers, with champagnes from the harvest only likely to have a very slight increase in alcohol content.

“A very small number of wines from this harvest could have slightly exceeded the regulatory limit of 13%, reaching around 13.1% or 13.2%,” said a Comité Champagne spokesperson to the BBC regarding the Inao derogation in September. 

“Therefore a decision was made to exceptionally and temporarily increase the regulatory limit to 15% - only for this year.” 

Shoppers will not see an immediate change to bottles in the aisle, as champagne must be aged for at least 15 months, or 36 for a vintage bottle.

This aging process, or tirage, is dated from the January after the harvest (in this case January 2027), so it is not until 2028 at the earliest that bottles with a slightly higher percentage will be available to purchase. 

Despite the official allowances, most producers are expected to remain within the typical 13% limit, meaning there will be no difference in those wines. 

Perhaps surprisingly, 2026 may shape up to be a good year – potentially even a vintage – for champagne despite the drop in harvests.

Famed champagne house Joseph Perrier noted that the 2026 yield “stands out for the quality of the grapes harvested. The Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Meuniers are in excellent condition, have reached a very good level of ripeness, and retain good acidity levels.” 

The high sugar levels “also highlight the uniqueness of the 2026 vintage. These characteristics yield a particularly rich raw material, and it will be essential to preserve all of its freshness and balance,” it added in a post on its website.

With lower yields compared to previous years, there is a risk that champagne becomes more expensive. 

This, coupled with a rise in inflation across France, could see bottles make more of a dent in the wallet regardless of their alcohol content.