Extreme heat threatens wine production in France and accelerates grape harvest

Illustrative photo of a red wine.
Reproduction.
The scorching summer in France is harming the development of grapes in wine regions such as Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy, threatening to reduce the harvest and bringing forward one of the earliest harvests ever recorded, producers said on Tuesday (7).
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A record heatwave at the end of June, followed by more days of intense heat and dry weather since last week, has slowed grape growth and damaged younger vines in France, the world's second-largest wine producer.
"We can see the potential of the crop melting under the sun," said Laurent Delaunay, president of the Burgundy wine industry association (BIVB), adding that producers' main concern is the lack of water.
Meteorologists predict little or no rain in France's main wine-producing regions before July 14, prolonging a dry period that has already lasted more than three weeks in many areas.
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Earlier harvest of history
In the Champagne region, producers are expecting the earliest harvest on record, with harvest expected to begin around August 15 - about a month earlier than was common a few decades ago.
At the moment, grape production is expected to be around 10% below last year's figure, although wine production may not fall by the same amount as producers can draw on reserve stocks, said Maxime Toubart, president of the winemakers' union. Champagne winegrowers.
"We were lucky enough to have a very wet winter, so the soil wasn't excessively dry at the beginning of the season. But now we can see that the grapes are no longer increasing in size," said Toubart.
According to him, the forecast could still be revised if the region receives heavy rain, but no storms, in the next two weeks.
In Bordeaux and Burgundy, where the heat wave was even more intense, producers said it was still too early to make accurate production estimates, but warned that the drop will be "significant".
The quality of the wine may not necessarily be affected, producers say. However, heat and drought tend to raise sugar levels in grapes, which can alter the flavor and alcohol content of the drink.
Harvesting is also expected to begin exceptionally early in several regions. In Bordeaux, the first grapes destined for the production of crémant sparkling wines must be harvested in the first week of August. In Burgundy, the harvest is expected to begin around August 20th.

Source: G1