Centre-Loire reports heat-affected 2026 harvest with varied yields

The 2026 harvest in Centre-Loire began in Reuilly on 12 August and ended around 11 September, according to the region’s annual report. The Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins du Centre (BIVC) says fruit arrived at wineries in healthy condition, although yields differed substantially across the area.

Weather challenges included spring frost, hail from May to July and repeated summer heatwaves. More than 40% of days from 1 May to 31 August reached at least 30°C, the report says. Rainfall was uneven: between 1 June and 24 August, Morogues recorded 32mm, compared with 112mm in Thauvenay. The wet winter helped replenish soil moisture ahead of summer drought, while some parcels briefly stalled in ripening before rain arrived.

The BIVC reports that alcohol levels were high but below earlier fears. It describes the whites as retaining freshness and the reds as showing deep colour, concentration and fruit character. Rapid sugar accumulation sometimes ran ahead of aromatic and skin maturity, requiring growers to reassess picking decisions over short intervals, according to François Dal, a viticultural consultant at SICAVAC, the region’s technical arm.

Older vines and vineyards on deeper, clay-rich or flinty soils generally proved more resilient than younger vines on free-draining sites, the report says. Growers adjusted harvest schedules and mobilised crews at short notice; many picked at dawn to bring cooler fruit into the winery. Reuilly, Coteaux de la Charité and Coteaux de Tannay were among the appellations most affected in volume terms.