Record-Early Champagne Harvest
The harvest began on August 12, more than a week earlier than last year, and winemakers warn that champagne could lose its distinctive character.
The harvest began on August 12, more than a week earlier than last year, and winemakers warn that champagne could lose its distinctive character.
In the Champagne region of northeastern France, dozens of workers gathered at dawn on August 14 among the chardonnay vines, starting the second day of the earliest harvest since records began in the early 20th century. The official start of the harvest was moved to August 12 by the Champagne industry's governing body (CIVC), more than a week earlier than in 2025, when the harvest began on August 20.
Climate change, including the record heatwaves and droughts that hit much of Europe this summer, is testing the resilience of the French champagne industry. Higher temperatures accelerate ripening and produce grapes with higher sugar content, making it harder to preserve the flavor and acidity of champagne.
"There's no August break for winemakers," joked Benoit Velut, the 39-year-old owner of Champagne Jean Velut in the village of Montgueux, which produces about 28,000 bottles annually. His father Denis, 67, who handed over the vineyard to him, recalled how the harvest used to take place after the start of the school year. "It used to be at the end of September and mostly in October, at a time of year that was still quite cold," said the older winemaker.
Denis added: "In the late 1990s, if someone had told me I'd be picking grapes before August 15, I would have said, 'Come on, let's be reasonable.'" Vincent Finot, another winemaker from Montgueux, received special permission from the authorities to start harvesting on August 6, the earliest date in the history of all of Champagne, after tests showed a sharp drop in the acidity of his grapes. "I didn't dare wait any longer," he said.
Agroclimatologist Serge Zaka noted that harvest dates in France have shifted by about 21 days over the past 50 years. "On average, across all French vineyards, including those in Champagne, harvest dates have shifted by about 21 days over the past 50 years," Zaka said, adding: "The entire vine cycle is affected."
According to CIVC data, about 30 percent of this year's crop was lost due to spring frost, and heat and drought further reduced yields. Stephane Vignon, a winemaker from the village of Verzenay, said some clusters weighed nearly 30 percent less than usual. To compensate for losses, producers rely on reserve stocks. "We have introduced a system that allows us (in poor harvests) to reintroduce wines stored in tanks to make up for part of the lost crop," explained CIVC co-president Maxime Toubart.
The challenges facing Champagne are opening an opportunity for British winemakers. The chalky soils of southern England and more moderate temperatures, although also rising, are reminiscent of conditions in Champagne several decades ago. French champagne houses Taittinger and Pommery have already invested in the region.
Denis Velut believes that champagne could evolve toward wines that are warmer and have a higher alcohol content. "They could lose a bit of that very ethereal, airy, and light character that defines champagne," he warned. Zaka concluded that traditional practices will need to evolve to preserve the acidity and quality of champagne, including planting more resistant grape varieties and maintaining soil cover to retain moisture.
