Drinking this year’s champagne might give you a heftier headache as France’s record heatwaves are forcing some producers to up the alcohol levels, industry officials said Wednesday. French authorities have allowed champagne houses to make their bubbly with alcohol content of up to 15 percent, a historic first for a wine usually limited to 13 percent. Read moreFrench wine yields drop to new historic low after searing summer heat Growers had to harvest exceptionally early this year as extreme heat sped sugar buildup – and hence natural alcohol production – in the grapes, according to the Comite Champagne industry association. Nonetheless, “the crop already has all the hallmarks of producing great, perhaps even exceptional, wines”, the group said in a statement. Authorities have also allowed a temporary easing of strict rules for making several types of cheese after heatwaves scorched grazing pastures. France is the world’s second-largest wine producer after Italy, and this summer’s heat and drought have deepened fears for many growers about how they will cope with climate change. The 2026 harvest was the earliest …