The traditional meeting between winegrowers and champagne houses, Wednesday, July 20, set the return of the harvest to 12,000 kg of grapes per hectare. A level at the highest for fifteen years.
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In less than a month, the first pruning shears should be given in the Champagne vineyard. For the time being, the winegrowers of the region have morale at the beautiful by observing the state of their plots. Even if they remain cautious, as the weather sometimes plays hangable towers. “Today it rains, so we are happy. We live extreme situations. In 2021, there was a lot of water and diseases. This year, it is the opposite, there is a lot of sun and Heat, which is favorable to the vine, even if beyond 38 ° C at 39 ° C, the grapes can grill, “explains Maxime Toubart, president of the general union of the winegrowers of Champagne. Even the episode of frost of April, which had aroused fears, ultimately did not do too much damage.
During the traditional meeting between winegrowers and champagne houses, organized on Wednesday July 20, to decide the performance before the harvest, the violins therefore quickly granted. It was set at 12,000 kg of grapes per hectare. “Such a level of yield had not been set for fifteen years,” said David Chatillon, director general of the Union of Champagne houses. “Champagne wants to reconstruct its stocks,” says Toubart, to justify this level of efficiency almost rent.
The precious wine with Champagen bubbles has, in fact, lived two agitated years. In 2020, he was strongly shaken by the health crisis. With the closure of bars and restaurants, the break on air transport and the establishment of containment measures to curb the propagation of the coronavirus, sales have plunged. Result: after stormy discussions, the return to the harvest had been set at 8,000 kg per hectare. A heartbreaker for some winegrowers, who had to leave part of the harvest in the vineyards while nature was generous. 2> 2021, sparkling year for sales
However, the commercial air hole was short -lived. After the hollow of 2020 and its 244 million bottles sold, the champagne caps started to jump from the discontent. The Interprofessional Committee of Champagne Wine, which brings together winemakers and houses, fixed the yield of the harvest 2021 to 10,000 kg per hectare. The ace. The meteorological vagaries and the attacks of Mildiou amputted the harvest potential, which fell on average at 7,500 kg per hectare. Some winegrowers had to draw on their reserves to reach the fixed yield, when others did not manage to deliver the expected volumes.
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