France News: Harvest Festival

The end of the summer marks the start of the grape harvest and the Champagne region is no exception. Some 100,000 seasonal workers will descend upon the world-famous vineyards surrounding Épernay and Reims for three weeks of intensive labour.

But as Daniel Lorson from CIVC, the regulatory body for Champagne, explains, the harvest isn’t always guaranteed and it’s a stressful time for vignerons. ‘The unusual weather conditions that we have seen in 2007 have affected the vines and a mild winter coupled with a precociously warm April has brought the harvest on three weeks early. June’s unseasonal rainfall and temperatures greatly increase the risk of disease and we require consistent good weather some six weeks prior to harvest to ensure a good yield.’ Until the grapes have been picked, Champagne vignerons will not sleep easy.

---