Estimates of how far wine output has fallen vary, from a roughly 20% drop according to the Agriculture Ministry's Kilani Belhaj, to a reduction of 40-50% according to Vineyard Producers' Syndicate head Salim Chaouch. Winemakers in France and elsewhere in southern Europe have also warned of lower wine output this year due to the heat. "Climate change has impacted both the quantity and quality of production, with a broad effect on the sector. In ancient times Tunisia was a major wine producer under the Carthaginian and Roman empires and commercial-scale output began again under French colonialism, though it has not become a significant exporter. The grapes are picked early in the morning and driven to a modern processing facility at Takelsa in central Tunisia to be turned into wine.

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Persons: Kilani, Salim Chaouch, Farmer Wajdi Graya, Hammadi Brik, Latifa Guesmi, Angus McDowall, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Agriculture, Vineyard Producers, Syndicate, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: TUNIS, North Africa, France, Europe, Tunisia, Bon, Takelsa, Coteaux