Champagne growers race to preserve quality in record-early harvest
HAUTVILLERS, France (AP) — Champagne producers are racing to pick their grapes as the region’s earliest harvest on record gets underway, after extreme heat and drought accelerated ripening,…
Champagne growers are in a rush to complete their harvest as the region experiences its earliest grape picking on record. The extreme heat and drought have accelerated ripening, leaving farmers with a tight window to maintain the quality of their renowned sparkling wine. At the Gobillard & Fils estate in Hautvillers, teams of grape pickers begin their work at 6:30 a.m., surrounded by UNESCO World Heritage vines.
Alexandre Gobillard, production director, notes that this early start in mid-August is unprecedented in the region's history. His family has worked the land for four generations, but never before has the harvest begun so early. The early harvest is attributed to a changing climate, including a late-March frost that delayed budburst and four consecutive heat waves.
While losing about 10% of the grapes would decrease yield, it does not compromise wine quality. Such early harvests are becoming more common across Champagne and other French wine regions as temperatures continue to rise.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
