Extreme heat and prolonged drought in France have led to an unusually early start to the grape harvest. In the Champagne region, this year’s harvest began three to four weeks earlier than usual, forcing producers to urgently recruit workers and reorganize their traditional seasonal schedules, EastFruit reports, citing The New York Times.
Normally, in August, Champagne winegrowers are still preparing for the traditional late-summer harvest. However, following an exceptionally hot summer, grapes ripened much earlier than usual, with some vineyards beginning to harvest as early as the first days of August.
According to winegrower Maxime Toubart, one of the co-presidents of the Champagne Committee, such an early start to the season posed a serious organizational challenge.
“We had to mobilize everyone in a very short period of time. The harvest had to be organized almost at the last minute,” he said.
Around 20,000 grape growers operate in Champagne, while approximately 120,000 people are employed in the region during the harvest season each year. However, in early August, many seasonal workers were still on vacation, making it difficult to find enough harvesters.
“This harvest caught us a little off guard. We’ve never seen anything like it,” Toubart emphasized.
Experts note that earlier grape ripening is becoming an increasingly noticeable trend. Over the past 20 years, the start of the harvest in Champagne has shifted forward by approximately one month. While grapes were traditionally harvested in October, work at Maxime Toubart’s vineyard began as early as August 6 this year.
Changing climatic conditions are believed to be the main cause. Milder winters, earlier vegetation growth, and high temperatures in spring and summer are accelerating the development of grapevines.
Since May, France has experienced four heat waves, which together lasted for 63 days. Temperature records were broken across the country, while the duration of July’s extreme heat exceeded that of several previous periods of exceptionally high temperatures.
Winegrowers in other parts of the country are also facing difficulties. Due to a lack of rainfall, producers are increasingly relying on irrigation for their vineyards. For example, winegrower Lucas Pfister from Brittany said he had to water his vines for much of the summer because of the prolonged absence of rain.
French winemakers agree that climate change is already having a direct impact on the industry. Rising temperatures are accelerating grape ripening and altering the traditional agricultural calendar, creating new risks for producers while also forcing them to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.
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