France's Champagne region has experienced its most unusual growing season on record in 2026, with five summer heatwaves and the earliest-ever harvest driving grape sugar levels high enough to push some wines beyond the legal alcohol limit of 13%. The Comité Champagne (the industry body overseeing champagne production) has responded by temporarily raising the regulatory ceiling to 15% for this year only, though only a small number of wines are expected to reach around 13.1–13.2%. The 2026 vintage will not reach shelves until at least 2028, and producers face a commercial challenge as consumer preference increasingly favours lower-alcohol wines.