There’s going to come a moment this autumn when you’re two drinks in and wondering why you feel like you’ve had four.
The answer could be the five brutal heatwaves that Europe had this summer. France’s 2026 Champagne harvest started earlier than any on record, with grapes being picked as early as August 6. Extreme heat sped up sugar development in the fruit, and more sugar can mean more alcohol after fermentation. French authorities have even allowed some Champagne producers to go as high as 15% alcohol this year, above the usual 13% limit.
You won’t be drinking that Champagne anytime soon, though. Bottles from the 2026 harvest need aging before they reach shelves. Cider, though, is another story.
British sommelier Jonathan Kleeman told Metro that apples grown through this summer’s heat could contain more sugar too. That means cider made from them could end up a bit stronger than expected. That’s where things get interesting for anyone buying small-batch cider from a farm stand or drinking something your uncle made in the shed.
Large producers can closely test the sugar levels in their fruit and control fermentation. Homebrewers and smaller operations don’t always have the same equipment. In a hot year, apples that would normally produce a fairly standard cider could ferment into something quite stronger.
And there’s a limit to how fun that is.
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Champagne growers are already thinking about what summers like this mean long term. Maxime Toubart, co-chairman of the Comité Champagne, said unusually early harvests will “probably become the norm in 10 to 15 years” as temperatures continue climbing. This year’s Champagne harvest was two weeks earlier than 2025, which was already considered early.
The industry is also dealing with lower yields. France is expecting its smallest wine harvest in nearly 70 years after heat, drought, and wildfires cut into production, with Champagne output expected to be about half of last year’s.
So if you’re drinking cider this autumn, especially something homemade or from a very small producer, checking the ABV first is probably a good idea. You don’t want to discover halfway through the second pint that this year’s apples came to fight.
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