French champagne could be a bit more boozy because of summer heat

France just came through its hottest summer on record, and one result was an unusually high sugar content in grapes used to make champagne. That sugar converts to alcohol during fermentation. To account for the higher alcohol content, the country’s National Origin and Quality Institute has said the champagne can be 15% alcohol instead of the usual 13%. The affected champagne isn’t expected to reach store shelves until 2028 because champagne needs at least 15 months to ferment.