The earliest grape harvest in history has begun in Champagne due to heat and drought

Champagne producers in France began harvesting grapes earlier than ever before. Extreme heat and drought accelerated the ripening of the grapes, leaving winemakers with a short period to harvest the crop and preserve the quality of the wine. Reported by the Associated Press, UNN reports.

Details

Champagne producers are rushing to harvest the grapes, as the region has begun its earliest harvest on record after extreme heat and drought accelerated ripening, leaving producers with a narrow window to preserve the quality of the region’s world-famous sparkling wine

According to the publication, on the slopes of the hills of Hautvillers, teams of pickers begin work at 6:30 a.m. The grapes are harvested among rows of vines that were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.

For Alexandre Gobillard, production director of the Gobillard & Fils champagne house, starting the harvest in mid-August was an unusual occurrence.

This is a historic event in Champagne. I have worked on the estate for 30 years, and when I started, my father would tell me: "Go on vacation on August 15." Today is August 18, and we are in the midst of a full harvest. We have never seen anything like this

In his 50s, Gobillard represents the fourth generation of the family to work on the family vineyards. Each year, the company produces around 1.5 million bottles of champagne.

Recall

During the harvest campaign in Ukraine, farmers have already harvested more than 26 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops from 49% of the projected area.