Bad Weather Led to a 20% Drop in Wine Production in France

France's wine production declined by 20 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year to just 36.9 million hectoliters, reports Mediapool

The reason for the decline is the unfavorable climatic conditions, according to an assessment by the Agrarian Ministry in Paris, quoted by the France press.

"The decline in wine production seems to be mainly due to the fierce spring frosts, which happened at a sensitive stage in the development of the vineyards in all the wine-growing regions to one degree or another," the ministry's statistical office said in a message released on Saturday. The vineyards in southwest France are the most affected, suffering also from hailstorms that occurred during the year.