French wine output to fall by 18% due to spring frost

(AFP) France's wine production is expected to fall by 18% this year after spring frost damaged vines across the country, the Agriculture Ministry said Friday.

"The 2017 wine harvest is expected to be 37.2 million hectolitres, which is 18% less than 2016 and 17% below the average over the past five years," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said in July that the cold wrought havoc, notably in southwest France, with Bordeaux suffering along with neighbouring Charente, as well as Jura and Alsace in the northeast.

Some losses are also anticipated in the Burgundy region, Languedoc and the southeast.

The bitter cold struck twice within a week in April, ravaging the fragile shoots and buds that had emerged prematurely following mild temperatures in March.