15% alcohol in champagne? Climate change is set to make you a little more tipsy

The heatwave endured by France this summer will boost the alcohol content in your champagne. Extreme heat and drought have made the grapes richer in sugar than usual. During the fermentation process, yeast converts sugar into alcohol. Since the sugar concentration this year is quite high, this would translate into champagne with much higher alcohol levels. While the traditional limit is 13 per cent, champagnes produced from these grapes will have an alcohol content of 15 per cent.

The country’s National Origin and Quality Institute has authorised the one-off exemption. However, experts say that climate change would cause this unusual harvest even in the future and it might become the norm in 10 to 15 years. Maxime Toubart, the co-chairman of the ComiteChampagne, said that this "should prompt reflection on the champagne of tomorrow".

France endured a severe heatwave this year as a heat dome took hold over parts of the continent. Temperatures reached 44.3 degrees Celsius in Pissos on June 23, 2026, during the country's hottest overall summer on record. This affected crops, and vineyards were no exception. Entire Europe was under a heat dome this summer, and human-made climate change might mean more such spells in the future.

More alcohol in champagne a turn-off?

High alcohol levels in champagne are not good news for the makers. Producers say that since people have been turning to low alcohol wines, more of it might affect sales. Didier Gimonnet, a third-generation producer in Cuis, told The Times that most of them will fix the problem by mixing grapes from different years to bring the levels down. Others might mix a 15 per cent batch with an 11 per cent batch from a previous year.

However, according to Stéphane Vignon from the Verzenay region only a few producers will be affected. David Chatillon, co-chair of Comite Champagne, said that the average alcohol level after harvest is 12 per cent, so not all winegrowers in Champagne will go above that level. Besides, the bottles with higher alcohol content will not be available before 2028 since champagne takes about 15 months to ferment.