In France this summer it was so hot that even champagne, it seems, said:
"That's it. I'm no longer light and airy."
The 2026 harvest in the Champagne region turned out unusual: the grapes ripened very early, survived intense heat and accumulated especially a lot of sugar.
And sugar turns into alcohol during fermentation.
As a result, for some wines from the 2026 harvest a higher alcohol content was permitted of up to 15% alcohol — higher than the usual level.
That is, the familiar phrase:
"I've only had two glasses of champagne…"
may now require clarification:
"Which champagne exactly?"
Of course, this doesn't mean that all champagne will suddenly become 15 percent alcohol. Producers will most likely blend the stronger wines with less alcoholic batches to preserve the familiar style.
But the very fact is wonderful.
Champagne will still bubble, stand in a bucket of ice and look as elegant as can be.
It's just that after the second glass it may already look at you and say:
"Well then, shall we continue getting acquainted?" 😄
And the main takeaway is simple:
The climate is changing. Champagne is adapting. And we're left to adapt the size of the glass.
